


Piece Me Back Together

by underwaterocean



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Childhood Trauma, Control Issues, Depressing, F/M, Found Family, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, Link actually needs therapy, Link is soft boy, Link needs help, Mental Health Issues, Modern Era, Modern Sheikah Technology, Soulmates, Stick with it until the end, Zelda's Dad is Fun, abusive household
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:21:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 49
Words: 194,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26762014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underwaterocean/pseuds/underwaterocean
Summary: Hyrule some thousands of years later. The Princess and her Hero are just folk icons people name their kids after. A modern Link finds himself in a situation where courageous is the last thing he'd ever describe himself as until he finds a girl named Zelda who reminds him that courage comes in all different forms.This is a dark story that will drag you down into the pits before lifting you back up. Enjoy my madness.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 1041
Kudos: 427





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Now that this is done, I do want to say that I need to go back and edit all the chapters for little spelling errors. While I do edit before posting, I tend to miss several. 
> 
> I don’t know if it’s just that I know what I was going to say so when I see it my brain fixes it for me or what, but I never fail to leave a few behind. 
> 
> I know that bothers some and I completely understand that. If you see one just know I’ll get it eventually!

He sat in the woods behind his house. Early dawn, the soft calling of hungry birds chasing away the nighttime cadence of crickets. It felt like home there. He sat amongst the weeds, the dropped stores of the chipmunks and the squirrels, long forgotten in their hurried rush from predators, and he felt at peace. He thought he knew what that felt like. It wasn’t unlike what he was doing now. Running away from danger. Or rather, the threat of danger. He’d grown so used to it by now that it seemed natural, though he knew in his heart that it wasn’t. Maturity had done that much for him by unveiling the ugly mask that was his family. When he was younger, he had let the love he felt for them cover him like a bandage. Every bruise, every night spent cold and frightened, they were only small inconsistencies in the narrative he’d built for himself.  _ They love me,  _ he would tell himself,  _ I’m just hard to love.  _ If only he could be smarter. If only he could predict what they expected of him before he inevitably failed. If only he could be a better son. He did try. 

He heard the unmistakable rumbling of the school bus and hurried to his feet, throwing his backpack over his shoulder, praying his father didn’t see him as he rounded the bend. 

“Boy!” the man’s voice boomed across the pebbled driveway, stopping him in his tracks. 

He felt the ground shift beneath his feet as he turned to see his father standing in the doorway, his faded flannel hanging loose off his hardened frame. He was wringing his hands with an old dish rag, his eyes narrowed at the sight of his son escaping off to school yet again. 

“Get your ass back in here. Your mother needs help today and I won’t be late to work”

Link turned to see the bus headed his direction before looking back towards the house. 

“ _ Now,”  _ his father’s voice left no room for argument. He felt his shoulders fall and his stomach growl as he walked briskly back towards the house, stopping just at the bottom of the porch steps for instruction. 

“Your mother’s having another episode and the house is fucking filthy. I expect everything to be taken care of while I’m at work. Do you understand?” 

Link looked at his feet. 

“Yes, sir” 

“Yes, sir,” his father mocked, picking him up by the strap of his backpack and shoving him towards the house, “as if you have any respect for me. Where have you fucking been all morning? Your mother’s been out of her mind and I can’t deal with that bullshit right now”

“I have a test today,” Link replied quietly, “I’ll get in trouble if I miss it” 

His father reeled him around before making hard contact across his face with the back of his hand. Link felt himself fall to the ground just in the doorway, reaching out the steady himself on the doorframe before he fell awkwardly to the floor.

“Don’t you  _ dare  _ try and pretend anything you do at the worthless school is better than what you owe me here. I feed you. Clothe you. Put a roof over your head. I work day and night to pay the bills around here and you act holier than thou because you have a  _ test.  _ Boy, they would spit you out before you had a chance to write your name on that paper if they could. They don’t want kids like you. You’ll graduate if you’re lucky and then go back begging at the front steps to clean the floors for the kids that come after you” 

Link bit back the tears that welled in his eyes as he stared at the floor. It wasn’t the first time he’d said something like that. He cursed himself for not being immune to it by now, but each word cut deeper into his already wounded heart. He wished he had some of his father’s fortitude. The man was a wall of stone, only ever showing affection in those quiet moments when his mother could drag herself out of bed to remind him why they were still together. Link was more like her in that regard, always swimming in his own head, vulnerable as a child even still though he was nearly eighteen. He was quicker to cry than to fight and his father resented him for it. He was a physical manifestation of their failures. A weakness. A burden. He took every opportunity to remind him of it. 

“I’m leaving. Take care of your mother. If I hear you’ve snuck away again, you will regret it”

Link nodded as his father slammed the door closed. He let his backpack fall to the ground and walked down the dark hall to where he knew his mother was, walking around the debris field that served as evidence of an earlier tantrum. She'd started that several years ago. She seemed to hurdle between frenzies of fury and brokenness that would result in her cocooning herself in bed for days before reappearing in a manic state sometime later. She would scrub their house from the floorboards to the ceiling and twirl Link around as she sang his praises before something kicked the cycle into motion again and he became her enemy just like everything else. It was exhausting. For everyone. He creaked the door open and watched the gentle up and down of her breathing from beneath the blankets. More traces of her outburst were scattered around the floor; a book with its pages torn and flipped on its end, a shattered glass, a basket of laundry tipped over. He was glad he’d missed it. 

“Hi, mom,” he let his voice enter the room as gently as possible, “Are you okay?”  
  
‘“Come here,” he heard her voice coming muffled from under the covers. 

Hesitantly, he knelt at her bedside and put his hand on the edge of the bed. She emerged from under the pile of blankets, her face wet from fresh tears, eyes swollen and heavy, clouded in a haze of stolen medications.

“Did you run away again?” 

“No, mom. I just like to sit outside,” he replied quietly and he felt her hand on top of his.

“You like getting away from me,” she choked out, “I don’t blame you. I want to get away from me too”

She ripped her hand away from his and buried herself back in the covers, her small frame shaking from a fresh torrent of tears. She’d always been unpredictable. Link remembered times when he was younger when she would wake him well past midnight, not completely there, offering him an invitation to her manic adventure. He had been too young then to see the truth in her movements. He’d ran and played and laughed with her until the sun rose and so too did the darker side of her mind. She’d turn on him then, scolding him for being out of bed, accusing him of some great tragedy that had suddenly befallen her. He’d spend the rest of the day locked in his room, quietly wondering what he’d done to earn her ire, not realizing it was her own mind she was waging war with. He was simply an easier target. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he turned to clean the broken glass off the floor. He knew it would be a long day. 

* * *

“Good morning, Mr. Faron!” the lunch lady beamed at him as he walked into the quiet cafeteria. He’d snuck out early enough to take the long walk to school, arriving before most of the students in order to take advantage of the free breakfast they offered. Many of the students opted out of the program, claiming they’d rather starve than survive on the bland cafeteria food, but Link was always hungry, a result of having to earn what he consumed at home. 

“Morning,” he replied as he graciously took a breakfast sandwich and a banana from her hands, offering a small smile in thanks. She turned to address her coworker as he made his way down the empty hallway, triggering the motion sensor light to illuminate the long pathway. He knew he had a least thirty minutes before the first teacher staggered in and even longer before other students. He knew this part of the hall was inhabited by the older teachers, unlike the new ones that rushed in with the sun to make last minute adjustments to their lesson plans. He sat heavily on the ground and pulled his feet towards him as he sat in the quiet and ate. He enjoyed the stillness until the sound of jingling keys caught his attention. 

“Ah, Link! Good morning! You’re here early,” the principal’s voice carried down the hallway. 

Mr. Agus was a cheerful man and always one that seemed a little too interested in Link’s life. Link groaned and quickly wiped his mouth, turning his face so that the bruise on his cheek was less visible. The last thing he needed was another report on his family. His father would rake him over the coals every time the school sent a social worker to check on him at home. He’d been groomed from a young age in the art of lying and working the system.  _ Do you want to be taken away?  _ His father would tell him.  _ Do you want to never see your mother again?  _ They’d told him that children who were taken away had to live in group homes, doing manual labor to earn their keep. Anything would be better than that, he would tell himself. So he had learned to lie away the injuries and the absences in an effort to make himself less visible. 

“Good morning,” he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“I didn’t see you yesterday, were you here?” Mr. Agus questioned, looking the boy over.   


“No, sir. I was sick”  
  
The man watched his face, seeing the way his brows twitched and he worried his bottom lip with his teeth. 

“What happened here?” Mr. Agus questioned him further, eyeing the bruise on his face. 

Link lifted a hand unconsciously as if to hide it and simply shook his head. 

“I’m fine” 

Mr. Agus hummed but didn’t reply as he knelt down. 

“You know we’re family here, don’t you?” he asked as Link stared at the graying tile between his feet and nodded. 

“And families take care of one another. If you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask, alright?”

Link nodded again and turned his face away, wishing he could somehow melt into the ground beneath him. He didn’t like attention. He didn’t want to be spoken to. He only wanted to show up silently and do his work without prying eyes or hushed whispers between adults as they vaguely pointed his way. He seemed to communicate this through body language and Mr. Agus made to stand, brushing the wrinkles from his pants as he did. 

“Alright, I’ll leave you alone. Have a good day, alright?”

Link nodded again as the man walked down the hall to his office. It was about an hour later that he found himself sitting in math class, heart quietly panicking as the teacher walked around to pick up the homework assigned earlier in the week. He shuffled through his backpack as she made her rounds, trying desperately to find the paper he couldn’t remember taking home. It had become increasingly difficult for him to keep up with school and home as home become more suffocating. 

“Mr. Faron?” she asked as she stopped at her desk. 

He looked up to see the other students staring at him. 

“I can’t find it,” he replied as she lifted a brow at him. 

“If you came to school more often maybe you’d know what we do around here. We turn in homework every Wednesday. We’ve been in school six weeks, Link. You should know better” 

He heard a few of the other boys in class snickering and he felt his face flush. 

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Blossom. Can I come in at lunch and work on it?” 

She looked down at him and sighed. 

“You may”

He spent the rest of the class hiding behind his hand with his elbow planted firmly on his desk. After the lecture, the rest of the class worked together to complete the assignment, turning in their chairs to gossip and joke around before the bell rang for the next class. Link sat and absently bounced his leg up and down as he tried to work out the new equations. He must have missed the instruction the day before and was having a hard time figuring out what he was supposed to do. 

A few rows ahead of him a group of girls sat huddled together, occasionally looking over their shoulders to giggle. 

“Who are you asking to the winter formal?” one of them said. Link recognized her as the captain of the swim team. Mipha. She had her long red hair braided off into two sections behind her back. 

“I was hoping he would ask me!” another giggled as her eyes scanned the room, landing on a boy lounging in the back. Grante, they called him. He noticed the girls eyeing him and flipped his slick blonde hair to the side with a flick of his neck, sending them a winning smile, which sent them into a hushed frenzy as they fell together to laugh. Mrs. Blossom chastised them for the noise before continuing to peck away at her computer keys, leaving the class to fend for themselves. 

One of the girls in the group looked up from their huddle and noticed that Link was looking at them. She had been smiling along with them as they continued their banter, but hadn’t added too much to the conversation. Link found he didn’t know her name, but he did know her face. It was soft and kind and her eyes reminded him of spring. He had perhaps stared long enough to catch the rest of the girls' attention and they all turned to watch him before he dropped his eyes in a panic, feeling warmth spreading across his cheeks. 

“You mean him, Paya?” Mipha offered in jest, to which they covered their mouths to hide their laughter, “Does he even go to dances?”

Link felt as if his face were on fire. Of course he didn’t attend school events. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go, he just never had anyone to go with. He wasn’t allowed to have friends over and even if he did, he just didn’t know how to start a conversation long enough for anyone to befriend him in the first place. He didn’t know what people talked about. He didn’t even have a slate like everyone else. He’d made the mistake of asking for one once and his father had told him he could have a slate when he started paying rent, though he wasn’t even allowed to apply for jobs. It left him rather isolated. There were a few other students at school that were friendly with him, but none that he really called friends. 

“Oh, hush Mipha,” the quiet girl said as she turned to look at him properly, “I think he’s cute. Just look at those eyes” 

Link wondered if the world had stopped spinning or if he’d simply stopped moving with the world. He buried his face in his hands as they sat stunned for a moment before laughing. 

“You’re fucking weird, Zelda. You read too many romance novels,” Mipha laughed before the conversation moved far past him and into their plans for the weekend. 

When the bell rang, Link stayed behind in order to avoid the crowd of people at the door. When he stood from his desk Mrs. Blossom motioned for him and he walked to stand before her. 

“Are you done with today’s work?” she asked. 

“No, ma’am”

“And why not?”

Mrs. Blossom had mastered the art of the teacher's face, steeling her expression just enough to register his fight or flight. 

“I...uh...I don’t understand how to do it,” he replied. 

She sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. 

“Link you have to start coming to school. You’re a bright kid, but I can’t teach you if you’re never here. Where were you yesterday?”

“I was sick”

She looked him over, her eyes stopping on the bruise painted across his cheek. She nodded at him and gestured for him to leave as she turned to dial a number on her phone. 

“Okay, well, I hope you’re feeling better,” she said, her voice changing tones as she watched him turn to leave, “could you shut the door behind you?”

He nodded and did as she was told, shutting the door as he left. When he looked up he could see Zelda standing across the hall, her books in her arms as she watched him. She lifted a hand in greeting as they met eyes. 

He swallowed heavily and barely lifted a hand to return the wave before rushing down the corner, almost tripping over his own feet. What had he done to earn that attention? He would think about it the rest of the day. 


	2. Chapter 2

At home there was an unfamiliar car in the driveway and a familiar feeling in his stomach. Dread. He knew it by name now. When he was little it caused him to constantly complain of stomach aches to the point his mother had quit feeding him, convinced something was broken inside of him. There had been, but it wasn’t his stomach that needed mending. Her attempts to stop his complaining hadn’t helped. They only created new problems, like him putting snacks in his pockets at school when he thought no one was looking. The school had stopped calling home to report the incidents and started calling elsewhere when they noticed the way he would return the next day. Then the cars started showing up at his house and the problems seemed to stack upon each other until he could no longer see over the top of them. Now he understood that the nauseous feeling stemmed from something else entirely and it was likely sitting in his living room at that moment waiting for him. He steadied himself, taking a deep breath before entering the doorway. 

He could smell soup simmering in the kitchen. That was not normal. He saw his parents sitting side by side on the couch, his mother’s hair neatly combed, her body touching every part of his father’s side. That was also not normal. She seemed to smile genuinely at him and it made his heart ache. His father nodded politely, but the tension behind his eyes made Link recoil, if only internally. 

“Oh there he is! Just on time, like you said,” the woman with the clipboard announced, spinning with a smile he knew was only plastered on for the effect of appearing friendly. 

“He’s a good boy, isn’t he Cyril?” his mother said sleepily from the couch. 

His father only nodded and motioned for Link to join them. He hesitantly took off his backpack and hung it by the door. He sat down carefully beside his mother and folded his hands in his lap like one might do at a doctor’s office, but not in the comfort of their own home. The discomfort he felt was almost overwhelming and he had to remind himself to breathe. 

“Now, I just wanted to come by and make sure everything was alright. It’s been sometime since we’ve seen each other. Link, you’ve grown so tall! How is school?” the woman asked merrily, scribbling something on her clipboard after watching the family interact. 

“It’s fine, ma’am. Thank you,” Link responded, squeezing his hands a little in his lap as he remembered his coaching. 

_ The government is determined to break our family up. Don’t give them any reason to do that. You hear me? You want to be taken away from us? Do you want to be homeless? Would you do that to your poor mother? After all she’s given you, you would do that to her? Cause her more pain? Just tell them what they want to hear.  _

“Link?” the woman asked, snapping him back to attention. He turned to look at this father, at the veiled threats behind his expression and shifted his attention back to the social worker. 

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t hear you,” he said. 

“That’s quite alright, I suspect you’ve been listening all day at school. I remember those days. I simply asked if you would walk me to my car? I’ve had a lovely chat with your parents and you seem well. Would you mind carrying my bag?” 

She motioned to the bag on the ground. It didn’t look particularly heavy but he agreed anyway. He could hear his father grinding his teeth from the couch but he didn’t turn to look. When they made it to the car, he could feel her eyes on his face. 

“Link, can you tell me what happened to your cheek?” she asked, her clipboard still in hand. Still investigating. Still digging.

“I fell,” he responded immediately. That was what he was always supposed to say. Even when he was little.  _ It’s always your fault. You fall. You fall all the time because you’re clumsy. We find it humorous. Don’t we? It’s endearing. Little clumsy Link.  _

“You fell,” she repeated, writing something down in her notebook.  _ Same story as father.  _ He read. 

“Yes, ma’am”

She regarded him a moment before sighing and putting her clipboard away. 

“I know it’s hard, but your school is worried about you. You know there are always ways to reach out for help if you need it”

“Yes, ma’am”

He knew that was what they always said. She nodded at him and smiled sadly before getting in her car. He watched the vehicle until it had cleared the end of the street before he turned back to the house. It was there again. The dread. The flipping of his insides. He scolded himself for not covering the bruise before going to school. He knew they would call. They always called on him. 

As soon as he entered the doorway, his father’s fist found the softest part of his stomach and he fell to the sound of his mother screaming in the hallway. 

“Cyril! Please!” 

But he only continued his attack with his boots, which were now closer to Link as he lay on the ground sputtering for breath. 

“You ungrateful little bastard!” 

Link held his eyes closed and pretended that he had the courage to stand up and return the punch. He knew he could probably inflict as much pain on his father as he was dishing out to him. Though his body was strong, it was always his heart that stopped him. It would devastate his mother who was already so fragile. He hated that he had to lay there and take it as if he were as worthless as a stray animal that had snuck in and gotten into their trash. What was stopping his father from hitting her next when he stood his ground? Could he live with himself? It was easier to accept the humiliation and the pain than the thought of his mother on the ground instead of him. He hated how much he loved her.

“That should be easier to fucking hide,” his father spat at him as he lay on the floor. 

“Next time, I’ll let them take you away. You know that? Go blabbing your mouth at school again and they’ll put you in one of their cars and you’ll never come home. You know what they do to kids like you? You don’t want to know,” his father seethed as he paced the floor before him. 

“I didn’t-”

Another kick took the rest of his words along with his breath. 

“You  _ fucking _ liar!” 

He could hear his mother crying in the hallway. Cyril rushed to the kitchen and rummaged through empty pill bottles until he found one with what he wanted in it. He hurried to his mother’s side and cupped her face in his hands. 

“Shh, don’t let him bother you, darling. Take your medicine, it will make you feel better”

She took the little pill from his hands and let him lead her to the back of the house where he shut and locked their door. When he was finally alone, Link let out the breath he’d been holding. He pushed himself off the floor and made it to his bedroom where he fell on his bed, his heart and his mind empty. It was like that, afterwards. Numbness. The hollow feeling. He fell into its depths until his body decided it was simply easier to fall asleep. 

Sometime later he heard his door open and saw his mother standing in the doorway. Her eyes were puffy and her clothes disheveled, a noticeable knot in her hair. In her hands she held a steaming mug of something to drink, which she offered him. 

He looked at her before looking down at the swirling liquid, still chasing after the spoon used to stir it. 

“This will help with the pain,” she explained, “it will help you to forget.”

He took the warm cup from her hands and let it seep into his bones as he drank it. He tried not to soften as she patted him affectionately on the back, encouraging him to lay back down when he’d finished his drink. She used her free hand to comb through his hair, just as she did when he was little. Her movements were slow and languid, her eyes distant. 

“You were such a happy baby,” she said as he started to feel a pull at the back of his eyes. 

“I didn’t understand why I couldn’t be happy too. I wanted it so badly. I had the perfect little family. Your father was so handsome and always took good care of me. You came out perfect with your little curls and your blue eyes. But something always came to chase it away…”

He wasn’t sure if she was really talking to him or to herself, but he was beginning to feel too tired to answer. 

“You’re going to leave me one day, aren’t you?” she asked as his head hit his pillow. 

“Why do you always ask me that?” he managed to whisper as his eyes slipped closed. 

She didn’t answer him for the longest time and when she did, he thought he could hear her singing. Or perhaps, there was simply singing in his dreams. There often was. Ever since he was a small boy he would love to get lost in his dreams. In those places where there were castles so tall they kissed the sky. There were beautiful princesses and there was him, a valiant warrior. In his dreams he always threw the first punch. In his dreams, they called him a champion. Or maybe that was what he called himself. It was easier there. He was stronger there. Sometimes she was there too and she was proud of him. She was gone in the morning when he woke. She always was. 

* * *

The next morning found him but he didn’t find it quite as easily. His eyes were heavy as his alarm clock buzzed in the corner of his room. He thought of the drink his mother gave him. She hadn’t done that in a long time. He sighed and heaved himself from bed, feeling a sharp pain across his ribs. In the bathroom he lifted his shirt and it was such an ugly sight that he dropped it almost as fast as he raised it. He held the edges of the sink and stared at himself. He looked angry. It was unbecoming of him. He was tired of it. He was nearly a man now himself. How long would he allow it to happen? So for perhaps the thousandth time in his life, he vowed that it would be the last time. He wondered if he could stay true to his own word.

He didn’t get to think on it long enough before he heard the bus rounding the corner. He hurried through the living room and rushed out to meet the metal doors before anyone thought to acknowledge him. On the bus he sighed and laid his head on the window. The next time he opened them the bus driver was pushing him from his seat. He apologized and ran into school. 

The feeling seemed to follow him like a ghost and when his history teacher hit the lights to play a documentary on the ancient divine beasts, he found himself slipping away again, cursing at himself for thinking that his mother had moved beyond slipping medication into his food. She’d done it more frequently when he was younger; making him easier to handle when she didn’t have the energy to interact with him. 

A hand on his shoulder jostled him awake sometime later. The voice on the TV droned about ancient gears and blue flame.

“Hey, you’re about to get in trouble”

When he lifted his eyes to meet hers everything around him seemed to still. She was frozen before him, her eyes tender aquamarine. They both appeared to be locked in whatever trance overcame them, suddenly oblivious to the curious eyes of the other students. It was her that finally broke away, looking off to the side as their teacher rounded the aisle. 

Mr. Robbie stood before them, backlit by the moving pictures of animations meant to depict the old machines. He tapped the corner of Link’s desk and grunted before returning to his seat, satisfied that he had somehow gotten him back on track. 

“Thanks,” Link mumbled as he turned back to focus on the screen before him. 

An animation of the Hylian Champion flashed across the screen.  _ Chosen Hero Link, gifted courage from Farore.  _ He cringed at the name. His mother had gifted him the same one like so many others who dreamed of their sons inheriting the old hero’s spirit. But the calamity was long gone by now and no one needed a hero anymore. He knew he shared a name with the old hero, but that was where their similarities ended. He knew he’d never be called courageous. The Hero of the Wild would have never harbored fear for his own father. Or allowed another to beat him to the ground without putting up a fight. That much he was certain of. 

As he sat and watched the screen he could almost feel the gaze of the girl behind him upon his back. It was very distracting. She was named after a hero too. He wondered if it bothered her as much as it bothered him. He thought he would ask her someday. He found himself thinking about asking her a lot of things as he sat there. It was very distracting. He did not do well on his quiz. 

After his history class he was called to the principal’s office, rolling his eyes at the slip of pink paper Mr. Robbie quietly put in his hand at the end of the period. He sat down in the office and looked at the man’s pictures on his desk. He was sandwiched between his smiling wife and two little girls. 

“Ilie and Midnie,” he explained, “they are twins”

“Oh”

“They’re in elementary school here. First grade. They love it,” Mr Agus continued, resting his crossed hands on his desk in an attempt to look casual. Link nodded and said nothing. It felt awkward. He started bouncing his leg. 

“I’ve heard that you’ve been falling asleep in all your classes today, I just wanted to check in”

Link sat up straight and tried to blink the fatigue from his eyes. 

“I just stayed up late studying. That’s it. Please don’t worry about it” 

“Lots of tests today?”

“Um,” he tried, rubbing the back of his neck, “No, just, uh, normal stuff”

“Ah. Well, I hope you did well. I’ve noticed your grades have been slipping recently” 

Link watched as a worried expression crossed the man’s face. It annoyed him. He didn’t want his sympathy or his concern. He hadn’t asked for it. 

He knew his grades were slipping. It was hard to focus when his father had been making him earn his dinner though an arbitrary system that made no sense and he thought that his ribs might be broken or at least fractured and his mother had been swinging between loving him and throwing objects at him like one might change the channel on TV. 

“We tested your IQ in elementary school based on teacher recommendation. You scored way above expected. Do you remember when we used to let you sit in 2nd grade reading groups when you were in kindergarten?”

He did not remember. He really didn’t remember much about elementary school at all. He also knew Mr. Agus was likely lying to make him feel better about himself. He knew he wasn't that bright and he certainly knew he didn’t deserve that type of attention. 

“All I’m saying is that you could have a very bright future ahead of you. I want you to really work hard this year and apply for every scholarship you can. College can do a lot for you. You just have to reach out and grab it”

Link looked at the man sitting across from him. He probably flew through his door each evening and took both of his daughters into his open arms. He would probably pay their tuition for college or at least help them fund it. He imagined him as the type that read to them as they fell asleep. He had no idea what Link’s life was like. He thought he could hold out the idea of freedom to him and he could just easily take it. He had no idea that his arms had been tied behind his back a long time ago.

Link politely nodded and stood to leave. He heard the last bell for the busses ring but by the time he got to the back of the school, the last of them had already pulled out of the parking lot. He sat on the back steps and closed his eyes, letting the breeze tickle the thin skin of his eyelids. It was getting colder. He sighed. 

“Hey,” a voice called out from behind him. He didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. 

“Hey,” he replied as she sat down beside him.

“Did you get in trouble?” she asked, staring straight before her as she bounced her hands on her knees. She was wearing a thickly knit sweater over some ripped jeans, her tennis shoes just a different shade than his own. He looked at the ring she wore on her pinky finger, like a little golden snake. It made him smile. 

“No”

“Cool”

He knew he needed to get up and walk home, but something was keeping him there. Even though it was quiet between them, it didn’t feel awkward. He sighed and leaned back on his hands. 

“Have you seen Ganon’s Return?” she asked suddenly, turning to look at him. 

“Is that a new one?”

“Yeah”

He knew he hadn’t but he stopped to think about it anyway. 

“No”

“Oh,” she said, turning her attention to her hands, spinning her ring with her free fingers, “well you should watch it. The hero in it is kind of stupid. He tries to save the princess and like, falls on his ass into Death Mountain”

He felt a laugh escape him before he could stifle it. Then she was looking at him and laughing too. He noticed that she wrinkled her nose when she smiled. Then her face lit up as she excitedly leaned forward as if to examine him. 

“I  _ love  _ your sweatshirt!” 

He looked down at himself, forgetting what was on it. It was old, like the rest of his clothes, but it was likely his favorite item of clothing. It was a gentle shade of the old royal blue with small embroidered likenesses of the old divine beasts in a line across his collar bone. He’d been excited to find it when he’d finally earned enough money from his father to go thrifting for clothes. He tried to hide the broken seam at the bottom near his waist that had split open after months of him worrying his fingers over the edge. He liked the way the stitching felt, but it only made the fraying worse. 

“Oh...it’s, yeah. Thanks,” he muttered before inwardly cringing at himself. He didn’t understand how he suddenly seemed unable to string together a coherent sentence. He mustered up enough courage to chance looking at her and was rewarded by her smiling face grinning back at him. 

“How’d you rip it?” she asked. 

He was sure his face was so hot she could smell the cinders. 

“I think uh...it was like that before I got it. A little, but it’s bigger now. I don’t know,” he said as he looked down at himself again. He didn't know what to do with his hands. Or his eyes. Or anything on his body. 

“Oh you got it at the thrift store then? I love thrifting! New clothes are boring. There’s no mystery. Your shirt had a whole life before you,” she said, leaning back on her hands after tucking a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

When he finally looked back up, he found a crooked smile taking over his mouth. She didn’t seem to care about his holey clothes or his awkwardness as she mirrored him with a smile that was just as lopsided as his own. It planted something inside him that felt dangerous. He noticed he’d perhaps stared too long when a dusting of pink kissed her cheeks. Was she cold? Had he made her uncomfortable? He didn’t know what was happening. Just as he opened his mouth to apologize, a gray car containing Mipha and Paya pulled up in the lot and she stood to walk away. 

“That’s my ride today. See you later,  _ hero _ ,” she said as she looked down at him. 

“Hero?” 

“Link,  _ duh,”  _ she laughed as she began to walk away.

She remembered his name. She remembered him at all. But why?

“Bye, Link,” she nearly sang as she opened the car door. 

“Bye...Zelda,” he answered long after she had already left. 

He sat there a moment before he realized he needed to go home too. He managed to lift himself from the ground without groaning too loudly before starting his long walk home, finally free to support his side with his arm away from prying eyes. But he didn't feel the pain as he walked. His mind was elsewhere. He thought about her all the way home. 


	3. Chapter 3

He thought she was pretty. No, he _knew_ she was pretty. There wasn’t much to be argued there, though she didn’t seem to care that she was. She usually dressed comfortable in her leggings and her big t-shirts and tennis shoes. He could tell she came from money by the name brands that she wore. She had the same pair of shoes in several different colors and seemed to enjoy making sure they _didn’t_ match whatever shirt she was wearing that day, like she enjoyed the contradiction. He wondered if she thought he was poor. While his family wasn’t destitute, they were often tight for cash with his father providing the only income. When food was low, he was the first to go without, especially when his father deemed he hadn’t earned his share anyway. Link had asked his father multiple times if he could get a job after school to help, but each time he’d been denied. 

_You have to be home for your mother,_ he’d said. But Link knew it was just because he wanted that extra control. He liked being able to tell Link what to do and when to do it. He always had. When he was little, Link was like a little soldier. He’d make him stand in the corner until his legs fell asleep, or force him to sleep in their hallway closet when they had company over so that they would have a place to stay. He would even go so far as explaining that Link was at his grandmother’s and no one would ever know any different because of how quiet he would be. But Link didn’t have a grandmother and he didn’t like sleeping in the hallway on the quilt his mother would fold up for him. It was cold and the small space scared him. _What a sweet boy you are, letting your father’s friends stay in your room,_ his mother would say, _this is like your own little cave. You will be safe in here._ He used to dream he would die in there and no one would ever find him. They’d forget about him and stumble upon his skeleton years later, still curled up on his blanket. But he didn’t complain. Not until he had gotten old enough to start arguing back and when his father decided he was big enough to withstand more physical punishment.   
  
That was when Link had made his plan. That he was going to leave on his 18th birthday. He wanted to try to take his mother with him, but in his heart he knew she wouldn’t leave. She’d grown too accustomed to his father’s care to do without and Link could never fill those shoes. He wished she would see that she could be strong without him. But he was always there with a pill in hand to mold her into compliance when her mind started to peel away. His control of her made her feel safe, while that same control threatened to snuff Link out all together. He had stopped trying to make sense of it long ago. He had settled into just trying to endure. He felt that familiar guilt creep to the back of his throat when he imagined leaving her. But he swallowed it back down. He had time. His birthday was a few months away. Maybe she would be better by then.

He found his mind drifting back to the girl from school as the sun rose on Saturday morning. Saturdays were lonely. Even without friends at school, he still interacted. On Saturdays he was stuck sitting and waiting for his mother to call out to him from her bed or if he was lucky she would wander into the living room and sit on the couch with him. He liked those days best. Sometimes she would even talk to him and ask him about school, even though they never talked about his future. He noticed that she made a point to never talk about his father or how he treated him. He knew she hated when he hurt him, but she never intervened. It would seem they both harbored a guilt directed towards the other that went unspoken. 

He liked talking, even though he was quiet most of the time. He just assumed no one wanted to hear what he had to say. But she had talked to him. He hadn’t even asked or looked at her in a way that could have been asking. But she talked to him anyway. Why had she done that? He couldn’t get her face out of his head. Even just the memory of her made his heart race and it left him feeling a little askew. He poked his head in his mother’s room and saw her fast asleep. There was a pill bottle on the nightstand with someone else’s name printed on it. She wouldn’t wake up for sometime. He decided to go for a run. 

He loved the monotony of running. He liked the way his breathing echoed in his head and he could lose himself to daydreams. He pictured himself in a number of scenarios, or rather, the ideal version of himself. This Link threw punches right back at his dad. He would take his mom to the hospital and get her the help she needed. He would be valedictorian at school and everyone would turn to each other in shock when they called his name. He had an entire speech he would give. It was inspirational but also angry. _No one ever cared about me_ , he would yell at them, _I’ll be everything you said I couldn’t be._ He knew no one would ever really hear it, but it felt good to say it in his head anyway.

But today he found himself thinking about her. Taking her for ice cream. What flavor would she order? Something weird, like mint and coffee. He liked strawberry. He wondered if he could ask his dad to do extra work to earn money. But that was a little creepy, wasn’t it? She didn’t even know him. He had no reason to ask her to do anything with him. He’d probably scare her and then she’d laugh about it with Mipha later. Mipha was her real friend. She had just been bored enough to talk to him that day. She’d probably completely forgotten about him by now. It was stupid that he held onto her voice for so long.

“Hey,” a voice called out, causing him to nearly topple over as he bent down to tie his shoe. Was he hearing voices now? 

“Hey, Link,” it repeated and he stood perhaps a little slower than necessary just to make sure he wasn’t going crazy. 

But there she stood in the morning light, wearing what was probably her dad’s work shirt and a pair of shorts despite the lower temperature. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her hands were covered in dirt. She was beautiful. He shook the thought out of his mind, feeling his neck flush as he did so. He was grateful he was likely already red from the exercise to begin with. Maybe she hadn’t noticed.

“You run in the mornings?” she asked, wiping her hands on her shirt, leaving a trail of dirt behind. 

“Sometimes”

“Do you live around here?”

“Uh yeah like...over...there,” he vaguely motioned with his hand in the direction he came from. He hadn’t realized how far he’d gone. He’d only meant to run the block a few times, but his mind had started to wander and he’d stopped paying attention to the direction he went in. This neighborhood was a lot nicer than his. His house sat on the end of a dead end street, his only neighbors being the woods that separated their neighborhood from the highway. Here, everyone had a front porch that was always decorated in some seasonal manner. Someone was always outside sipping on tea or coffee and there was always someone to wave. 

“Just like, that general direction? You just live ‘over there’?” she asked with a brow raised. 

“Yeah”

“Okay” 

They stood looking in the direction the other was standing in without actually looking at each for a long minute before she spoke again. 

“Are you strong?”

“What?”

“I need help moving this wood pile. I’m trying to plant a garden,” she explained, wiping the sweat from her brow with her arm. 

“Isn’t it almost winter?” he asked, unzipping his jacket a little to let the steam from his body escape.

“Yeah, Captain Obvious,” she laughed and the sound of it went straight to the very core of his body, making him wonder if he’d have to shed the jacket all together, “but I’ve been researching temperature hardy plants and I wanted to see if I could make a winter garden”

“Oh,” he choked out as he swallowed, “I can uh...I’m...I can move things” 

He cringed at his awkwardness but she didn’t seem to care or notice before motioning for him to follow her. She led him through an arched back gate that had already been propped open. Her backyard was sloped as it came off the end of her home, which was lined in a back porch with what he thought was a hot tub tucked into the corner. The wood pile and her makeshift garden were all the way at the end of the yard at the bottom of the hill, tucked under two trees she had tied a hammock to. 

The two of them worked for about an hour shifting the wood to a new location, chatting idly while they worked. He was surprised how easy talking to her came to him once the shock of being in her personal space had worn off. When they were done she plopped her hands on her hips and admired their handiwork. 

“Couldn’t you have just made the garden over here?” he asked, pointing to the other side of the house. 

She looked at him as if he’d suggested she water the garden with orange juice. 

“Logistics,” she said, as if it were the most obvious answer. 

“Huh?”

“It’s the perfect distance from a water source, it receives the perfect amount of sun and shade, I can see it clearly from my bedroom window, and it’s the perfect location from this back shed here where all my gardening tools are,” she explained, “logistics.”

“Oh” 

He sat down beside her and went to retie his shoe again. She continued to explain to him the types of plants she had looked into, even going so far as explaining how she planned to cross pollinate a few to see if she could make some new ones that might take on the properties of others that could survive colder temperatures. He listened and asked for clarification at the right places and there were a few times she would stop and smile at him, briefly biting her bottom lip before she became distracted by the properties of another plant she was interested in. When she was done, they were both laying on their backs and watching as the sun reached the highest point in the sky. Link threw his arm over his eyes and focused on the sound of her voice. He wasn’t particularly sure about what she was talking about, but he knew he liked the tones of her voice and was perfectly content to listen to it all day long. 

“You’re a good listener, you know?” she said, turning to look at him. 

“Oh...thanks,” he stammered, peeking at her from under his arm. 

“Why don’t you ever talk to anyone at school?” she asked him, mimicking the way he hid his face from her by throwing her own arm over her eyes. 

“Oh, I...I guess I’m just better at listening and...no one usually seems like they want to talk to me and I don’t...uh...I don’t want to bother anyone,” he replied quietly, shocked at how easy it was to say that out loud. 

She went quiet after he did and shuffled her feet in the grass. She could feel the weight of his words as if they were sitting on her chest. She could tell he meant it genuinely. It wasn’t as if she’d never seen him at school before, but she’d never thought to talk to him. He was always by himself, staring out a window or looking down at his things. She hadn’t realized that maybe he just didn’t know how to initiate conversation or how much she would enjoy talking to him.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said. 

He turned to look at her then before realizing how long he’d been gone from home. It had to be afternoon now based on the sun. What if his father had come home for lunch and found him gone? What if his mother had woken up in a panic when she found herself alone? What had he done? 

“I have to go,” he said as he stood suddenly. Zelda looked a little surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor and stood too. 

“Why?”

“I just have to go, I need to go home,” he replied, starting to walk to the gate. 

“Wait! Do you want to like...talk on the slate sometime? I mean...if you want. You wouldn’t bother me”

He stopped and turned back around. She looked...frazzled. Did she want him to stay? Was he ruining it by leaving? He ruined everything. But she wanted to talk to him? His heart boomeranged around in his chest as he tried to formulate a response to her question. 

“I uh, I don’t have one,” he finally managed as he started to jog back down the street, cursing himself for not even saying goodbye. 

_I fucked it up, I fucked it up,_ he repeated in his mind all the way home. 

What he didn’t know was that Zelda watched him jog away until he was out of sight. That she no longer felt the same passion towards her winter garden like she did that morning. It felt empty back there now without someone to complain about Mr. Robbie with. Had he been lying when he said he didn’t have a slate? Everyone had one. But she had never seen him with one. As Link turned the corner to reach his house, Zelda sat on her couch, warming her cold feet under a thick blanket as she contemplated how weird it would be to give someone you only just met a present. But they had so many slates laying around. Her father was always bringing home a few to tinker with. He’d never know if one was gone and he’d probably just give one freely anyway if Zelda asked. She groaned and buried her face in her hands. 

* * *

At home that night Link lay in his bed and replayed his morning over and over. They’d made fun of the way Mr. Robbie always had on two different socks. They both thought they had been the only one to ever notice it. He’d made a dumb joke about about Mr. Robbie being part goron and she’d dropped her shovel in the dirt and giggled. He smiled to himself just thinking about it. Then he thought about what she’d asked him. She wanted his slate ID. Everyone at school seemed to have a slate except him. Of course Zelda would have one, her father was the owner of the whole company. He was actually surprised they didn’t live in some mansion. Their house was surprisingly small for the amount of money he assumed they made. 

Zelda was quite popular at school because of her father’s position. She always knew when the new update was about to launch and even pitched a few of their classmates' ideas to him on occasion that actually made it in. She was always surrounded at school, unlike him. People weren’t exactly rude to him, but he put off an aura that seemed to scream, “don’t talk to me” and so they didn’t. He both wanted and didn’t want to talk to people and not talking just seemed a lot easier. So he became background noise to everyone else while Zelda was front and center. But that morning she’d seemed different. More relaxed than she was at school. He wondered if it was because of him. 

He held onto that idea as he drifted off to sleep. That night he would dream of plants growing through sheets of ice and Zelda’s smiling face as she measured them. He didn’t even hear his mother throwing mugs at his father or the bang they made as they shattered on the floor. Or maybe he did, but the sound they made were more like icicles dropping to the ground, causing Zelda to giggle as they reflected the light in a hundred different directions. In his dream she was smiling at him. He never wanted to wake up.


	4. Chapter 4

Link found that Zelda was an incredible distraction. Where once he used his own imaginations to escape, now they were provided for him in the form of her turning to stick her tongue out at him during science or sneaking up on him in the hallway. It went on that way for weeks, a slow and teasing back and forth that always left him dizzy but satisfied, his mind full of pictures of her, the sound of her voice, the feel of her hand on his arm when she wanted his attention. Slowly she started spending less time with her other friends and more time with him, to the point they started sending him her way when they saw him without her. He caught himself looking for her in the hallways, grinning when he noticed her doing the same. 

“This is my friend Link,” she said one day as she dragged him down the hallway and into the science lab. She wanted him to meet her teacher there, Dr. Purah. She’d been a college professor before deciding to share her skills with younger students. She taught only upper level classes that students had to pay a technology fee to enter. Link hadn’t even bothered to ask his father, especially knowing he’d never even touched a Sheikah Slate, but less worked on one. He assumed it was another one of those things that just wasn’t meant for him. 

But his heart seemed to stutter at the word she’d used. Did she say friend? My friend Link? He was so distracted watching her mouth form the words that he missed what Dr. Purah had said to him. 

“Well, have you?” she asked again, pushing her round glasses up with the muscles on either side of her face, her cheeks slightly bulging as they lifted the small metal frames back into place. 

“Uh, what?” he asked, which made Zelda giggle again and for all he was trying to pay attention, she made it very challenging. 

“I said...have you ever used a slate?” she repeated, glancing back and forth between the two of them with a calculating glint in her eye. 

“Oh, no ma’am. I don’t have one” 

“Everyone has one,” she replied as she sat back and folded her arms, “you’re telling me that not only do you not have one, but you’ve never even gotten to play on one?”

He looked at Zelda who looked oddly excited as she bounced on her heels. She raised both her brows and nodded in encouragement, a silent invitation to continue. 

“Um...no” 

“Well! That just won’t do,” she said as she spun around in her chair, making a show of rummaging around in her desk drawers as she continued to talk, “As luck would have it, I actually have one around here that I don’t need anymore. Where is it…”

Link ducked as the woman threw out papers and packages of small metal objects. Zelda squealed and grabbed onto his arm and he turned into her to hide his smile at the contact. She was becoming more affectionate and had no idea the effect it had on him. The only contact he ever received at home was the abuse from his father or, if he was lucky, a pat on the arm from his mother when her swirl of medication hit just right. He found himself chasing Zelda’s touch, leaning into her so she could wrap her arms around his back as they pretended to dodge the lethal objects. He had no idea how addicting it could be.

“Aha! Found it!” Dr. Purah nearly shouted as she held up the object in triumph. 

Link watched as she fiddled with the screen, unlocking it from its statis, causing a gentle blue glow to be cast over her face. She narrowed her eyes as she tapped on the screen a few times before handing it to Link. He looked between the two of them before glancing down at the screen, nearly dropping it when he read the words that scrolled across the top. 

_ Link’s Slate.  _

“Wh...but it’s...I can’t…” he stuttered as his eyes darted madly between them. 

“Look at this page!” Zelda beamed as she leaned over him, tapping a little circle icon that opened up what appeared to be the messages rune. 

Link watched as she lightly tucked the tip of her tongue between her teeth while she worked, tapping several buttons until her own slate beeped. She pulled the object from her pocket and held it up to him excitedly. A small icon popped up that read “Message from: Link”. Her smile was nearly blinding as she opened it and held it up for him to read. 

“ _ Now we can talk outside of school, _ ” he read from the screen, his eyes a little too stuck on the heart icons she’d added beside the words to process what was happening. 

Slowly it dawned on him that they were insinuating he now owned the piece of technology in his hands. He felt his mouth fall open as he noticed they were watching for his reaction. 

“Oh...um...I can’t buy this,” he said sheepishly, hugging the slate to his chest, afraid that the moment he let go of it someone would take it from him. 

Zelda turned and looked expectantly at Dr. Purah who sat up straighter and spun around in her chair before answering. 

“No need for payment. I had planned on giving it away in one of my classes but everyone already has one. Take it. I have dozens. There’s a charger on the table by the door. Take that too. Enjoy!” 

Link looked at Zelda and then at Dr. Purah who had decided that was the end of her involvement in their conversation and had become deeply engrossed in an email she was typing away at. She waved a hand at them in some semblance of a goodbye and they turned to leave. As they were walking, Zelda turned around and mouthed a quick “thank you” to her that Link didn’t catch as he was too engrossed with staring at the slate in his hands.  _ His slate. _ Dr. Purah only winked and went back to her work. Zelda had always been one for solving problems creatively. 

“Do you like it?” Zelda asked as she pulled him back out the door, “I know you say you’re always busy after school but maybe you aren’t too busy to chat with me with this? I like talking to you. I miss you after school”

_ Miss you.  _ The words echoed around in his head. But her eyes were pleading for a response and the only thing he ever wanted now was to give her what she wanted so he gave her one. 

“Are you sure?” was the best he could do. 

“Am I sure?” she repeated with a tilt of her head, confused. 

“I mean...about me. I bet there were other people who wanted this” 

She stopped walking and let out a huff as she looked at him. 

“I don’t want to talk to those other people”

“What?”

“You’re a little dense,” she smiled as she rolled her eyes. 

He felt his heart start raging inside his chest, like it was in a race with his brain on which would implode first. He wondered if Zelda would be upset with him for dying in the middle of the school day. 

“I got it- I mean, Dr. Purah got it so I could talk to you. I like you” 

“What?” he repeated again dumbly as he stared at her. He was sure at that point he might have already died. It was only the burning on his face that reminded him he was still breathing and Zelda was still there telling him things he’d convinced himself he’d never hear. 

“I said, ‘I like you’, got it?” she repeated before stepping closer to him. She was so close he could see the way her eyes had dilated, the black chasing away the green as she glanced down at his lips before lifting her eyes to his face. A mischievous smile slowly spread across her own face before she leaned in quickly and kissed him on the cheek. 

Hyrule High then crumbled to pieces and was immediately rebuilt in a better shape with better lighting right before his eyes. Gone was the gray haze that seemed to follow Link around. Now everything was bright and new and just the right shade of Zelda that matched the shape of the smile that threatened to cut his face in two. 

“Now, let me show you how to use this thing so you don't get confused,” she said as she pulled him down to the floor right in front of the lockers. They didn’t even notice the bell ring for the end of the day or the other students flooding past them. They only noticed each other. The way their legs touched, the way their fingers accidentally bumped into each other while exploring the screen, how close their faces got when they huddled together. When it was time to leave Link put his new slate carefully in his backpack and walked Zelda out to her car. 

“Hey,” he said as she climbed in her seat, explaining that she had to work at her father’s office that day. 

“I like you too,” he said before she shut the door. They stared at each other through the tinted pane of automotive glass before Zelda blew him a kiss and began to back out of her parking spot. He pretended to catch it and put it in his pocket. He was embarrassed by how much he wished it were real, imagining he could pull it out whenever he wanted. He suspected it would be a frequent occurrence. 

* * *

_ What did you eat for dinner?  _ His slate vibrated on his bed for the 123th time since he'd left school. They'd started using it almost immediately. 

He tried to tell himself he didn’t have to jump each time but it was a new thrill to him and he was almost high off it. He was talking to Zelda at home. It was like she was there with him. He looked at the little words on the screen and smiled before it faded when he thought about her question. 

_ I wasn’t hungry,  _ he responded. 

He couldn’t tell her that his father had come home angry again. That he’d picked something up for him and his mother to eat but explained to Link that money was tight. He could eat whatever they had in the cabinets, which was old cereal and crackers. He’d opted out in favor of texting Zelda. It was all the fuel he needed anyway. 

_ How?! I’m always hungry,  _ she’d said. 

He laughed at that and imagined her sitting at home with a huge tray of snacks spread before her as she researched a new plant for her garden. 

_ You should eat your garden,  _ he replied. 

He waited a few minutes for her to respond, telling himself he didn’t have to watch the screen to see the little dots that appeared when she was typing. He saw the dots pop up and down a few times like she was really working on what she was about to say. Then his slate vibrated again and he saw a gray rectangle materialize instead of words. 

_ Open attachment,  _ it said. 

Hesitantly he clicked on the rectangle and a picture of Zelda standing and looking offended in front of her garden appeared on the screen. He tried to muffle his laughter into his sleeve in case his father heard him and busted into his room which was only able to be locked on the outside. He thought about running off to the woods so he didn’t have to worry about intrusions but it was cold and he was comfortable in his bed. He’d told his family he was going to sleep early. That he hadn’t felt well. Neither of them questioned him, likely happy to be rid of him for the evening. 

_ You look pretty,  _ he typed and then furiously deleted. 

_ How did you do that?  _ He responded instead. 

She spent the next few minutes teaching him how to add a photo and then it was his turn to send her one. He held the slate up above his head and squinted when a light flashed to illuminate his face in the dark. It was sent before he knew what was happening. He groaned when he looked at the little icon on the screen. He was making a stupid face because of the light, but worse than that, a bruise was forming under his eye from where his father had thrown a bottle at him earlier. He had almost avoided it, but the end of it clipped him just right. He didn’t realize it had left a mark. 

_ What happened to your eye? Are you okay? _

His little dots stayed silent as he processed her question. How was he supposed to answer? My dad hit me with a bottle? My dad actually hits me all the time? I’m not okay, but I’m better when I’m talking to you? All of it felt wrong. He didn’t want to burden her with the weight of his grief. She would probably never talk to him again if she knew how broken his life was. He wasn’t sure he could handle that. He wasn’t sure he could go back to a life without her to distract him. 

_Yeah I’m just clumsy,_ he responded.   
_  
__Well stop being clumsy then,_ his slate chimed, followed by a little icon of a person dozing off to sleep. 

_ Are you going to sleep?  _ He asked. 

_ Yeah, I’m tired. I’ll send you a picture of my plants in the morning. In case you miss them.  _

_ I'll miss you,  _ his brain said, but his fingers typed,  _ Okay. Goodnight.  _

He tucked his slate under his bed and rolled over and tried to sleep, but he was too happy. He didn’t know what to do with happiness. It was like trying to watch a movie in a foreign language. He could feel the emotion but he didn’t understand the plot. He closed his eyes and imagined a house where he lived with Zelda. The walls of his bedroom fell away and he was free from his confinement, if only in his mind. For the first time in his life, he had something to look forward to. Even if it was just a picture of a half dying plant in a girl’s backyard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to Blue Eyes Like the Atlantic while writing this one, if you wanted some chapter vibes. I like the idea of the Sheikah Slate basically becoming Hyrule's iPhone. Zelda totally uses too many emojis. Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

When things got better for Link at school, they got worse at home. It was like his father could sense that there was a new part of him he couldn’t control. So he started controlling what he could more fiercely. Link was now responsible for nearly everything in the house. The dishes. The laundry. The cleaning. If anything was out of place, it was because Link was too lazy to fix it. He couldn't help if his mother grew manic and started cooking or rearranging in the middle of the night, but he was responsible for the mess.  _ You will always have to take care of her,  _ his father would seethe into his ear.  _ You made her this way, she was happy before you were born. Now you have to deal with it just like I do.  _

He was grateful for the turn in the weather that allowed him to hide the finger marks on his arms from where he'd been roughly grabbed and the bruises on his legs from the tips of his father's work boots. If anyone noticed at school, they didn’t say anything. If anything, he was only hungrier. He was convinced his father stashed anything he earned away and left Link to fend for himself on purpose. It was petty and it was just like him. Day by day Link’s resentment grew. He knew he could hurt his father just like he hurt him. But he was afraid of what would come afterwards. Would he turn on her next? That was something he wouldn’t gamble with. He would endure anything if it meant she was okay. Despite all she put him through, she was still his mother. 

_ Can you come over tonight?  _ His slate buzzed,  _ My dad is cooking steaks. He said it was cool.  _

Link shoved the slate in his bag and cautiously slipped out of his room. His mother was lying on the couch watching something on TV and his father was sipping coffee in the kitchen. It was almost domestic. It made his stomach hurt. 

“Dad?” he asked carefully. 

“What” was his short reply, not bothering to look up from his mug. 

“Um...could I go to a friend’s house after school today?”

“You don’t have any friends”

“I do”

His father sat his mug down and licked his front teeth slowly, looking around the house. 

“What’s his name?”

“Zelda,” it felt like betrayal to let his father hear her name, but the feel of it on his tongue calmed him, if only slightly. 

“Oh, like the princess!” his mother cooed as she sat up on the couch, her hair askew and her face pale, “you’ve made a girlfriend! Isn’t that sweet, Cyril?”

Link reddened at the term and shrunk under his backpack, turning to look at his father who was staring at him so intensely he briefly wondered if he’d catch fire. 

“You fucking her?”

“What?! No!” Link shouted in return, feeling that latent anger boiling at the surface. One mention of her name and he’d already soiled it, made it ugly with his words and his acknowledgement of her existence. He wished he could slap the mug out of his father’s hands. Let him feel the pieces as they worked their sharp edges under his skin. 

“Cause if you are and you get her knocked up, don’t expect me to take care of your bastard kid, do you hear me, boy? And don’t you fucking dare raise your voice at me again”

Link clenched his jaw and shoved his fists in his pockets, in case he let them free. 

“Yes, sir,” he grit through his teeth. 

“Now get the fuck out of my house” 

“But can I-” 

“GET OUT!” 

He heard his mother whimpering as he slammed the door closed, likely burrowing herself away like she always did. For once it irritated him. He ran around the corner to make sure he was out of the sight of his house before he got out his slate. He smiled when he saw the barrage of question marks she had sent while he wasn’t looking. 

_ Yeah sure,  _ he responded,  _ right after school?  _

Her response was immediate. A flood of heart icons flew across his screen followed by a fork and knife and a big hunk of steak. He laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Just as he went to respond, a droplet of water fell and plopped onto the screen. He looked up and saw a clear blue sky before wiping his arm across his face. He’d been crying. When had he started crying? He cursed at himself for letting that man have so much power over him. He decided he would start doing as he pleased. And that started with going to Zelda’s after school. 

_ Should I wear a tuxedo? You know...for impressions,  _ he typed.

_ You should wear a bokoblin mask AND a tuxedo. Cover all your bases.  _

He laughed at the image of it before responding. 

_ Hey Zelda _

_ Hey Link _

_ Do you have a bokoblin mask and a tuxedo I could borrow? _

Her three little dots popped up and down on the screen before being replaced by a middle finger icon. He laughed out loud as the bus rolled up his street. 

_ Hey Link,  _ she typed.

_ Hey Zelda  _

_ I’m glad you’re coming.  _

He smiled as he typed the last two words he would send before getting on the bus. 

_ Me too.  _

* * *

Link sat with Zelda and her friends during lunch at her request, entranced at the ease of their conversation. 

“Can you fucking believe what she did?” Riju asked dramatically as she leaned across the table to enter Mipha’s personal space. 

“What did she do?” Mipha got closer, matching her intensity. 

“She wore that hoodie I gave him today! Like, I bought that for him! How bold can you be?”

_ She wore the hoodie,  _ Zelda leaned back and mouthed to him in feigned shock. She used her foot to prop her up precariously as she balanced on the back two legs of her chair. He smiled at her and rolled his eyes. 

“Can you believe that, Zelda?” Riju turned to acknowledge her and Link almost choked on how fast Zelda could switch her facial expressions. 

“No way, that one you got at the concert together? That was a bitch move for sure”

“Right!” Riju exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air. 

“Would you let another girl wear a hoodie your ex-girlfriend bought for you, Link? We need a male perspective,” Mipha chimed in. 

The girls seemed to zero in on him. He felt like he was under a microscope, like they were looking through every cell of his body for flaws.

“Um, I don’t know. I don’t have an ex-girlfriend”

Zelda’s smile was sweet when she looked at him, with his neck all blushed scarlet and his hands squeezed tight in his lap. 

“Well aren’t you Mr. Perfect,” Mipha scoffed and rolled her eyes before diving into fan theories on Ganon’s Return with Riju. 

“Do you want to like...come with me right after school? Or do you wanna just come for dinner later? Like, do you have to go home first?” Zelda asked when it seemed like the girls had already forgotten their existence at the table. 

“You don’t have to work?”

“Nope. Dad is off too. That’s why he’s cooking dinner. He said we are celebrating the anniversary of the 1200th last blood moon or something,” Zelda explained as she zipped up her bag and stood up, “He’s weird. You’ll like him”

“Oh, that’s cool. I can...I can come with you. I can’t go home anyway,” he said, immediately regretting his last sentence. He bit the inside of his cheek and prayed she wouldn't notice. But she noticed everything. 

“What? Why?”

“Oh, I...I forgot my keys and my dad is at work,'' he replied dumbly. 

“But aren’t those your keys?” she asked, pointing to the chain hanging off his bag. 

“Oh...yeah”  
  
It was awkward for a moment as Zelda regarded him. She watched his body language, the way his eyes shifted from her to the floor. The bruise on his face was yellowing and healing, but he quickly moved to roll down his sleeve when he noticed her eyes lingering on the fresh purple marks he still sported there. He’d grown warm in the packed cafeteria and rolled them up without thinking. 

“Told you I’m clumsy,” he laughed nervously as he held the end of his sleeve. 

“Yeah,” she replied slowly, a worried look dancing in her eyes, “Well, um, I’ll meet you in the parking lot at the last bell, okay?”

“Okay” 

“See you then”

The next few hours took a lifetime. He could hardly focus on anything that came out of his teachers’ mouths. Inside his head he replayed their conversation over and over. Did she know he was lying to her? Did she see his arm? She had to have seen it. He dropped his face into his hands and willed his heart to stop racing. He felt like he was going to puke. Did he ruin it? What would she think of him if she knew the truth? She’d never want to speak to him again. He let out an exhale as his leg bounced erratically under his desk. When the bell rang he nearly jumped out of his skin and barreled out the door so fast he almost knocked a few people over. He mumbled an apology as he made his way to the parking lot, half expecting her not to be there. But she was. 

“Hey!” she called out to him, and the playfulness in it had his anxieties melting away, “Get in!” 

He grinned at her as he climbed in her front seat, shoving aside what looked to be a week’s worth of plastic coffee cups and homework. 

“Sorry, I’m a disaster,” she laughed as she watched him make room for his feet on the floorboard. He looked up to her and made a face, shuffling his feet to make an extra loud show of it. 

“Quit judging me!” she giggled, reaching out to lightly slap him on the arm. 

He flinched out of reflex and she pulled her hand back just as quickly. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she put her keys in the ignition. 

It went quiet in the car as the uneasiness went unspoken between them. 

“What is this?” Link finally asked, pulling up what looked like a disassembled computer monitor from amongst the take out containers, hoping to pull them out of the discomfort he’d created yet again. 

“My special project,” she grinned at him, “I’m turning it into a guardian prototype” 

“A what?” 

“You know, a guardian,” she said, using her arms to mimic the way the old machines used to walk, like a big mechanical spider. 

“Is it going to shoot lasers?” 

“Only at you,” she teased, with a dance in her brows as she pulled out of the parking lot. 

“You’re like a mad scientist” 

She gasped and touched a hand to her heart as she rolled to a stop at the sign, turning to him with an expression that was both comically and sincere. 

“That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me”

They continued like that for the whole ride to her house. It felt natural to joke around and tease with her. Even though they’d only really been friends for a few months now, it felt like she’d always been there. There were times he’d catch her looking over at him in the passenger seat just to look away blushing, focusing intently on her driving for the next few minutes until they finally pulled up in her driveway. 

“Casa del Hyrule,” she said with flourish, extending her arm to sweep across the front of the house, “you have toured its rear gardens, now it is time to ease inside the magnificent front entrance” 

She froze a moment, all the blood rushing to her cheeks as she realized the double entendre in her words. They both burst into raucous laughter at the same time, Link wheezing as he looked at the embarrassment on her face. For once it wasn’t him blushing. 

“Was that on purpose?” he finally choked out, holding the side of his ribs that still bothered him, probably a result of improper healing from his earlier injuries. 

“N-No,” she sputtered, “It was not!” 

When their laughter finally died down they made their way inside. As soon as she clicked the door closed, he heard a voice booming from deeper within. 

“Is that my Princess?!”

Zelda groaned and slung her bag down haphazardly on the stairwell that greeted them upon entering, motioning for him to do the same. Each step was decorated with what appeared to be Zelda’s shoes, as if she simply flung them off in the afternoons and let them lay wherever they landed. He swallowed at the thought of how that would go over in his house, but quickly pushed the thought aside. He wasn’t there. He was here. And now there was a very large man barreling towards him wearing nothing but pajama pants and a dirty apron. He was a mountain of a man, with his graying blonde hair pinned up in a bun and his just as grey beard swaying with his massive movements. 

The man caught Zelda in a massive hug that trapped her arms at her sides and swung her around like a doll. 

“Dad!” 

“Oh hush, you love it! Oh!” he stopped mid swing, letting Zelda dangle like a child’s toy in his arms, “you weren’t joking, you really did bring a boy home!” 

He planted a wet kiss on her forehead as he dropped her to the floor before turning to address Link. 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance young man, may I ask your name?”

“Um...Link?” he responded, somehow confused by the question after watching their display of affection. He remembered when his mother used to play with him like that. It left an aching in his chest he wanted to ignore. 

“My, my! You’ve brought the chosen hero home to me, my princess! How fitting!” 

“ _ Daaaad,”  _ Zelda groaned, “It’s not my fault half of Hyrule is still obsessed with those old stories.  _ Including you _ ”

“Old stories!” he scoffed, “Can you believe that, Link? Old stories she says. Pfft. Those stories are our history. Your namesakes gave everything so that I could cook steaks in my pajamas at 4pm on a Friday afternoon without fear of calamity flipping us upside down or blowing us up. I would think you would be grateful” 

Link stood uncomfortably still as he watched the ease with which they talked to each other. Zelda held no fear for her father and the looks he gave her could only be described as tender. 

“Well, make yourself at home, I’ll have dinner done shortly. Give him the grand tour, princess!” her father announced before sauntering off to the kitchen. 

“I know he’s a little much,” Zelda whispered as they watched him walk away, “but he’s fun” 

“I like him,” Link replied with a smile that she eagerly returned. 

“Yeah, me too” 

The grand tour proved to be quite short. He knew from general knowledge that Remy Hyrule was an incredibly wealthy man. He had to be, as CEO of Hyrule Technologies. But their house spoke of a simpler life, not the robot butlers he was rumored to have. Almost every inch of every wall was covered in family photos and almost all of them pictured a blonde woman clinging to his arm, a tiny Zelda squished between them. 

“That’s my mom,” Zelda explained, “she died when I was little. They had bought this house together right after college and right before dad’s business kind of exploded. She died when I was little. Cancer. He framed every picture of her we had. It’s kind of ridiculous” 

“It’s not,” he said quietly, his hand brushing up against hers where they stood so close together in the stairwell, “It’s sweet” 

She looked down at their hands and he could have swore he saw a blush across her cheeks as she extended her pinky, bumping into his own. He took the hint and they interlocked their hands as Zelda pulled him farther up the stairwell. 

“This one is dad’s office and that one is my room,” she explained before hesitantly shutting the door, “it’s worse than my car in there. Sorry no visitors today,” she shrugged, making him grin again. 

“Any lasers in there I should be aware of?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she teased, ears perking up as she heard her father calling from down the stairs. 

“Well, hope you’re hungry! Dinner is done!” 

The bounded down the stairs hand in hand and Zelda all but pushed him into a chair as they sat down to eat. Remy proved to be quite the storyteller, much to Zelda’s chagrin, and worked through a good portion of Zelda’s embarrassing childhood memories, including the time she peed her pants on her 5th birthday, before directing his questions at Link. 

“So what do your folks do, bud?”

“My dad’s uh...he’s like a mechanic I guess. My mom doesn’t work,” he replied vaguely. Zelda watched as he unconsciously moved to pull his sleeve down again at the mention of his father. 

“Oh, a stay at home mom, what a noble profession. I’d love to meet them someday,” Remy beamed, tossing another bite of steak into his mouth. 

“Y-yeah, maybe,” Link replied as he took his own bite. He had nearly cleared his plate, leaving a small portion behind on purpose. He didn't want them to notice how hungry he really was. It was the first home cooked meal he’d had in weeks and it felt like heaven in his empty stomach. He was worried he'd fall asleep before he could manage to stand from his chair. 

“Wanna go outside?” Zelda asked as her father cleared the plates, “we can swing in the hammock” 

“Take a blanket darling, it’s grown chilly,” Remy offered as he moved to the sink. Link watched as Remy worked to clear their mess without any indication he expected help from Zelda at all. He only moved when he felt Zelda’s hand around his arm. 

They walked down the sloping backyard until they reached the hammock. Zelda hopped in and pulled him hard until he landed on top of her. They giggled and shifted around until they felt comfortable with each other. The curve of the hammock made it so that every inch of his side was pressing into hers and he wondered if she could feel the heat radiating off his body. 

They giggled and chatted for what seemed like hours until Zelda sighed and laid her head down on his shoulder. 

“Hey Link?” she said, suddenly shy. 

“Hey Zelda?” he replied with his usual greeting. 

“Can I kiss you?” 

He stiffened before melting completely as she sat up and framed either side of his face with her hands. He nodded eagerly and she swooped down and pecked him on the lips. It was short and sweet but it managed to make him forget about anything and everything that wasn’t her. Soon they dissolved into laughter, wiggling and sliding around in the hammock, stealing small kisses until they were completely wrapped around each other, the blanket loose above them to keep out the chill. 

“Do you wanna stay?” she asked, her breath sending warm currents over the curve of his jaw, making him shiver, “My dad won’t care. We can watch movies and sleep in the living room” 

“I do, but I can’t,” he replied sadly, running his free hand through her long hair.

“Why not?”

“I’ll get in trouble”

“From your dad?” her voice was hesitant, like she had been afraid to ask.

He stopped his movement in her hair and thought about the time. His dad had likely ret urned from work by now and found him gone. Had his mother needed him while he was away? What if she’d had an episode and hurt herself? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remembering his promise from earlier. He’d do what he wanted. This was what he wanted. He nodded to answer her, afraid of the quiver she’d hear in his voice as his throat tightened. 

She took her hand and lightly ran her fingers along area on his arm where she knew the bruises were but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t know what else to say and neither did he. They simply lay and relished the feeling of each other and the way they kept each other warm from the cold. He held her tight and prayed to anyone that was listening for the moment not to end. Zelda soon noticed Link's limp hand on her back and the way his breathing had evened out. She lifted her head to see him sound asleep beneath her. She wondered how she'd never noticed him before that day in class. There was something about him that was so different than everyone else. It was a something she'd grown to love. She lay her head on his chest and let herself drift off with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rhoam gets such a bad rap that his counterpart here had to be super chill. He's like a papa bear. If I've been entirely too vague, Link's mom suffered from severe postpartum depression after his birth that exacerbated already existing mental illnesses that they aren't treating correctly. Its all a mess. Sometimes I know something so confidently in my head that I forget to explain it. Welcome to my life.
> 
> Also, I don't know if you've seen the vine where the guy says, "and they were roommates" but that was totally Zelda with the hoodie.


	6. Chapter 6

Link did not show up to school on Monday or answer her messages the rest of the weekend. Part of her was heartbroken and the other part of her was filled with a foreboding sense that something was incredibly wrong. But she didn’t know where he lived and she didn’t know that he even talked to anyone else who might now. She was trapped in a cycle of fearing that she’d somehow run him off so severely that he'd left town or that he was in desperate need of help with no way to call out for her. It had her screaming into her palms as she sat in front of her locker early Tuesday morning. She had almost decided to seek help from Mr. Agus when she saw him walking slowly down the hallway. 

He looked haggard, with deep circles under his eyes. He occasionally would stop to cough into his elbow, his whole body shaking from the effort of it. She thought he may be trying to hide a limp or perhaps he’d always walked that way and she hadn’t noticed. Despite feeling like it was somehow her fault he didn’t show up to school, she ran to him and nearly crushed him in a hug that had them both slamming into the lockers behind them, the sound reverberating down the still empty space. 

“Where were you?!” she demanded, holding him close. She could hear the wheeze that escaped him when she squeezed too hard and loosened her grip. 

“I’m sorry, I was sick. I couldn’t find the charger to my slate,” he said weakly, trying hard to keep his eyes from closing. 

She inspected his face for any sense that he was lying to her but only found herself wanting to hold him and never let go. So she did. For as long as she could. She found herself perplexed on how quickly he’d become so important to her. She couldn’t remember ever feeling quite that intoxicated in another person’s presence. She’d had a “boyfriend” in junior high who was fun to hang out with and hold hands with during school events, but he never made her feel what Link did. Link felt like carrying a piece of home around with her. She felt incomplete without him there to reflect her smile or fuel her giggling with a goofy face or bad pun.

“I’ll charge your slate for you,” she said quietly, reaching into his backpack to retrieve it. True to his word, it wouldn't turn on. 

He apologized again and perhaps a million times more before the bell rang and they realized they had to let go of each other. 

“It’s okay I was just...worried. Did you get in trouble? With...with your dad?” her words were cautious, asking too much and too little at the same time.

“Yeah,” he whispered before lifting his eyes to smile sadly at her, “But it’s okay. I’m always in trouble. Can we hang out again soon? I like your house. I like your dad” 

She laughed and lifted on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek before responding.

“What about me?”

“I like you too,” he said as he returned her kiss, “I like you most of all”

She kept his words with her like a prize in her pocket the rest of the day. When she got to the technology lab, she plugged his slate in and had to fight herself from looking through it. He hadn’t exactly given her permission to search through his stuff, but it was right there and it was so tempting. She turned on the home screen just for a peak and frowned. Her home screen sported a picture of her and her Dad at the grand opening of his newest retail store in the Gerudo Valley, mostly covered by all her downloaded runes. She had the messaging rune, one to track her steps, one that played music, even one that identified plants based on photographs. His screen was just like the day she’d opened it from it’s packaging and gave it to Dr. Purah to give to him under the guise of a "giveaway". He hadn’t even taken pictures beyond the ones he’d sent to her. Intrigued, she opened up his contacts and found only her name. She scrolled over to his messages and saw that she was the only person he had there too. When she tapped the screen to view everything he had open, only the window with their messages popped up along with one web browser. A search engine. When she opened that screen it pulled up a medical page for fracture ribs. She swallowed something awful that appeared at the back of her throat and closed his slate. 

She’d spent so long in the tech lab that she hadn’t realized she was late for their history class. When she tumbled into the room with a brief apology she shuffled to her seat and saw that Link was heavily asleep, using his backpack as a pillow. He didn’t move when she poked at him. He stayed still as a stone, his heavy breathing condensing on the cold table beneath him. More than once she saw him grimace in his sleep. He didn’t even react when Mr. Robbie flipped the light back on to begin their class discussion on the film they’d been watching. She sat and stared at him until the bell rang and everyone else stood to leave. 

“I can’t wake him up,” she explained when Mr. Robbie questioned why the two of them were still seated. 

Mr. Robbie tried to poke at him too, even slightly shaking him. But he kept sleeping. Finally, Mr. Robbie had decided to simply try and lift him from his desk. Link let out a whimper when his body left his seat and Zelda could see deep purple markings on his stomach when his shirt pulled up from the contact. When Link finally startled awake, he apologized to their teacher and slung his backpack carefully over his shoulder, trying to keep a neutral face. She honored his silent request not to talk about it and simply held his hand as he walked towards the back to catch his bus. She almost offered to drive him home before remembering she had to work. She cursed Impa and her accidentally inconvenient scheduling. 

“Hey Link,” she said, leaning on his arm. 

“Hey Zelda,” he sighed as he let her counterbalance some of his weight. 

“I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go to the winter dance. It’s just casual. Like, you don’t have to dress up. You probably already know that though. It’s a Friday night. Maybe you could see if you could like...stay over after too. Dad said he would rent a scary movie. That one about the Yiga that steals people's kids at night or something. I mean, if you wanted. I thought you could have time to ask your dad so you don’t...like, get in trouble for it, or anything” she rambled, keeping her eye contact steadily downward the entire time. She felt uncomfortable anytime his dad came up in conversation. 

“Yes,” he replied simply, letting his eyes close as a particularly cool wind brushed past them, “I’ll come”

“Do you need to ask first?”

“It doesn’t matter”

“It does matter!” 

He stumbled as she let go of him to grab him by the upper arms, making sure he had nowhere else to look but directly at her. 

“Come home with me today,” she demanded. 

“I can’t”

“Why not?”  
  
“My mom needs me. I have to make sure she ate something today. She didn’t eat this morning,” he said slowly, his eyes still half lidded, their normal piercing blue almost gray. 

She opened her mouth to respond but just nodded instead, letting go of him when she saw his bus approach. 

“Will you message me later? It’s at 100%”

“I’ll message you on the bus,” he smiled. 

“Will you take a picture of the bus driver’s mullet for me? I’ve never been able to get close enough”

He grinned at her before nodding and she stole one last peck on his cheek before he could walk away. 

“Wait!” she called after him when he started to walk. He stopped and she ran up to him, throwing her arm over his shoulder and demanding that he smile as she snapped a picture of them on her own slate before shoving him back in the direction he was walking in. 

“I’ll send this to you so you can add some flavor to your slate! It’s so boring!” she yelled at him as he turned to make a face at her. When he finally made his way to the back of the bus, he noticed her still standing there. She wasn’t smiling anymore. It made his heart fall down into his stomach. 

* * *

Zelda paced up and down the stairs, holding her slate. He hadn’t messaged her like he said he would. _He probably just fell asleep,_ she told herself, _or he doesn’t like you anymore._ She shook her head to try and physically rid herself of that thought. Then she repeated his words from earlier. He liked her most of all. Most of all. 

_You alive?_ She sent him, with several skull icons for an added affect. 

_Yes. Sorry, I had to clean up a big mess when I got home. I have to keep my slate in my room. I’ll message later, okay?_ he sent back a few minutes later, leaving her sighing in relief. 

_Okay._

She stared at the little dots as they appeared and disappeared several times before going quiet. She frowned and sat her slate down. He must have changed his mind. Just as she sat it down on the table it dinged again and she opened it back up. One red heart icon smiled back at her from his message screen. She was almost embarrassed by the wide smile that left her cheeks aching as she sent him one back. A black one this time. For the drama. She could almost hear him rolling his eyes when it checked that he’d seen it. 

“What are you grinning at over there, sunshine?” her father asked her as he sat lounged across the couch. He’d chosen watching her theatrics over television, nursing a hot mug of cider in his hands. 

“Link sent me a heart,” she replied. 

“Oooh, which one. The blue one? Or the one with the little dazzles that come up when you touch it?” he asked, motioning for her to join him on the couch. 

She plopped down beside him and pulled one of their throw pillows into her lap to hug it. 

“Just a red one,” she explained, “but I sent back the black one”

“How mysterious of you,” he teased, waving his bushy eyebrows, mimicking a caterpillar crawling across his face. 

“Hey Dad?”

“Yes, pumpkin?”

She scoffed at his constant nicknames and pulled her knees to her chest, crushing the plush pillow she had trapped here. She sat silent for a long while as she contemplated on how to ask a question she wasn’t sure if she should ask. 

“Sometimes Link lies to me,” she started. 

Her father turned suddenly to face her, sobered by her words. 

“Lying is not okay, Zelda” 

“I know, but it’s about little things. Like, why he wasn’t at school. Or like the other day he said he had forgotten his keys but they were on his backpack”

“Do you think he’s getting into trouble? Zelda, he seemed like a nice boy but if he’s doing things I should know about-”

“No!” she interrupted him, “No, it’s not like that,” she lowered her voice and settled back down on the couch. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth and chanced a glance over at her dad. She had his full attention, his full concern. If she told him Link had done something to her she had every reason to believe he would leap off that couch and track him down without further explanation. She knew her father loved her, even when he spent long hours at his office working. He never failed to call to check in or order her a pizza or just chat with her about her day. It made her feel guilty. But why?

“He’s got bruises,” she said quietly, picking at the rough sewn edge of the pillow, “Like...on his arms. Sometimes his face. But he had a lot on his stomach today but he won’t ever tell me what they’re from. He just says he’s clumsy. But he’s not. And he was looking up fractured ribs on his slate. Why would you look that up? He says he gets in trouble all the time from his dad, but he never does anything wrong. It’s like he gets in trouble for anything he does. He has to be home at a certain time. He can’t hang out on the weekends. He came over here last weekend and then he wasn’t at school. And then he came and he was all bruised. I shouldn’t have asked him to come. Dad, I think something is wrong,” she let the dam break, her voice quivering on the last word. 

“Oh, honey,” her father said, pulling her into a hug. The curve of her head fit perfectly in his oversized palm, nestled there like some round melon ripe for harvest. He let her cry it out. He knew if she didn’t, she’d keep it there forever and it would fester until her entire body was full to the brim with it. 

“Do you want me to talk to him about it?” he finally asked. 

“No,” she cried, “I think it would embarrass him. We talk all the time but never about that. He just says he has to take care of his mom and he doesn’t talk about his dad unless he’s saying he can’t do something. I just like him so much and I think he’s not safe at home but I can’t say anything,” she sniffled through her tears, wiping her nose on the back of her long sleeve, “He’s so quiet but so sweet and everyone thinks he’s weird, but he’s actually really funny, he’s just shy. He likes weird stuff like me and never tells me to stop talking. But he looked so awful today. You should have seen him. It was like he couldn’t even stay awake and then those marks…how could you do something like that to someone? Why won’t he tell me about it?”

Remy took a deep breath and let Zelda curl into his side, just like she did when she was younger. 

“You really care about this boy, don’t you?” he asked her. 

She nodded into him, wiping her tears on his old t-shirt. She always felt very small beside him, but there was nowhere else in the world she felt as safe. She’d been so small when her mother died that her father became her everything. It was them against the world. Now she found her world expanding to include a boy that made her heart beat faster and slower at the same time and she had no idea what to do about it.

“Just be there for him, my Princess,” Remy said, holding her close, “when he’s ready, he’ll tell you” 

“Okay,” her voice was pitiful as her slate let out a little ding to signify a message. She leapt forward to grab it off the end table, heart pounding when she saw his name. She opened the message and smiled so wide it made her cheeks ache. It was a picture of the bus driver’s mullet, as requested. 

_I said I was taking a picture of a deer I saw in the woods. There wasn’t one. But it’s the best I could do. He thought I was crazy. You’re welcome._

She laughed through her residue tears and showed the message to her dad. 

“You two are weird” 

He smiled watching her type frantically back to him. No one at his company knew that every update he ever issued for the slate had been for Zelda; the picture icons when she complained that the typed versions just didn’t convey the emotion she wanted to send. The music rune that allowed users to build playlists when she said listening to music in album order was a sin to spontaneity. He did most things for her. He always had. Of course there were times when they butted heads and he’d become upset at her, but he couldn’t imagine laying a hand on her. He wondered if Zelda’s suspicions held any weight or if her imagination was getting the best of her and there was some other answer for why Link was behaving in that way. He was such a quiet and polite boy. He couldn't imagine there ever being a reason to punish him that severely. 

“Do you remember when I showed you how to share a contact with someone?” he asked as she sent Link a series of deer icons followed by little gusts of air to make it seem as though they were running from him. 

“Yes?”

“Will you send mine to Link? Just tell him I made you do it. Say I’m being overprotective or something. But he can call me whenever. You know, just in case”

She looked at him before nodding resolutely. Remy heard the sound of the little digital scroll whooshing through the air to confirm it had sent. It made her feel good that Link had it now. Like a little piece of her father was with him. Maybe it made him feel safe too, if only a little. 

“He said thanks and that he would save you as ‘King of Hyrule’ since I’m the princess,” she said with a roll in her eye. 

That resulted in a belly laugh from Remy as he rose from the couch. 

“I like that boy!” 

“Me too,” she grinned though she tried her best to pretend she was annoyed. 

“Remember not to send anything naughty,” he said as he walked to his room, “I’m the boss, I can read everything”

“Dad! That’s illegal!” she shrieked, holding her slate close to her chest. 

“What?! I have all the power, I am the _King!”_ he shouted playfully as he flexed his muscles if only to see her cringe before going down the hallway. 

_Are you okay?_ She typed to Link as she felt the last of her blushing settle onto her face, briefly wondering if her father could _really_ see what she sent. 

_Yeah,_ he sent back immediately, _I’m sorry I was weird today._

She frowned as she read the words, _It’s okay. I’m always weird. Are you home alone?_

It took him a minute to respond and she stared at her screen the entire time. 

_No. Dad's working late today. Mom wanted me to sit with her and watch TV. She’s watching some show about a woman who thinks she’s been pregnant for 12 years_

She giggled as she pictured the scene. What was his mom like? Did he lay his head on her shoulder like he did when they watched TV together? It made her a little embarrassed that the thought made her jealous. It was just his mom. 

_When is the baby shower am I invited?_

_It was 12 years ago. Think we missed it._

She sent him a picture of herself pouting. He immediately sent back three black hearts. 

_So dramatic!_ She responded. 

_Learned from the best._

She hadn’t realized that she’d stared at the screen as she readied herself for bed, holding the slate close to her chest as if it were him and she could feel the beat of his heart in it. She decided to hold him close tomorrow so that she could memorize the real thing.


	7. Chapter 7

When Link was a little boy he loved school. He’d spent his first week of kindergarten wide eyed at the prospect of being somewhere other than with his parents. Somewhere that he had his name on a desk and people consistently including him in their plans. Somewhere he was important and a valued member of a group. People talked to him and answered his questions without shooing him away or throwing him outside. He was offered a hot meal twice a day and even a snack without having to worry if it would be taken away. It took his teachers weeks to get him to talk to anyone, but once he realized that it truly was a safe space, that they wouldn’t make him sit in a locked closet or spank him for accidentally dropping something, he let himself feel comfortable. He was very obedient, much to his teachers unknowing delight, and treasured anything he was able to create. It was the only place he was able to breathe freely. 

But that had been before his mother had started to truly decline. She would even occasionally muster up enough stamina to visit him at school, where he would pull her down the hallway, excitedly introducing her to every adult he saw, whether he really knew them or not. But then she’d started to shift and her upswings were but a blink of the eye, almost forgotten in the tempest that was her depressive episodes. That was when Link started showing up to school exhausted and frightened and unable to voice what was causing his distress for fear that he’d be taken away from the only life he’d ever known. He got in trouble for missing too many days when no one was there to remind him to board the bus. He started to daydream and grew so quiet that he was often overlooked. He found it difficult to concentrate and his teachers noted the way he began to struggle with topics he’d previously excelled in. They wondered why he no longer seemed motivated to work hard and instead had begun filing in the spaces of his assignments randomly in favor of laying his head down for a few minutes. The feeling would follow him as he grew. 

In math class at Hyrule High, he sat with his hand threaded through his hair and a pained frown across his face as he stared down at the booklet of work before him. No matter how he twisted and searched for meaning in the numbers, they remained a mystery to him. He must have missed some crucial element to solving the equation during a day he’d been absent or one of the many days he had drifted off during the lecture. There would be no catching up now. It was a cycle he was all too familiar with.

Zelda sat at the desk diagonally behind him and watched as he fell further and further behind the pace of the class. As they shifted to another page, he nervously bit his lip and bounced his leg, hovering his pencil above the first row of questions on the previous page. She noted the way he would lean over his paper or pretend to turn the page in an attempt to hide that he was not on track with everyone else. He traced the outline of the numbers on the page over and over, leaving smudges of gray across the margins. 

Mrs. Blossom finished her lecture and began her rounds of the long rows of desks, picking up the day's work and handing out their homework. When she got to Link’s desk he shifted and Zelda could barely hear his quiet request for more time. 

“Link, we were working as a group, why is yours still incomplete?” she asked, doing a terrible job at hiding her subtle annoyance. 

“I’m trying,” he replied, folding the paper over in his hands as his leg bounced at an increased pace. His eyes were everywhere but on her as she loomed over him. 

She sighed and placed the new homework on his desk. Zelda could see the way his shoulders fell as he looked at it. 

“This is all due tomorrow. If you can have it all completed I won’t count you off for today”

“Thank you,” he replied as he shoved the new papers into his backpack as he stood from his desk at the sound of the bell. 

Zelda zipped through the maze of desks, choosing the quicker route of climbing through a few rows while Mrs. Blossom was preoccupied and managed to grab him by the sleeve in the doorway. He’d been so preoccupied in his thoughts he’d almost forgotten she shared that class with him. He turned to her startled but relaxed when he saw it was only her that grabbed him. He often had to remind himself that she was real and not something he’d imagined. He smiled at her and put his hands in his pockets. 

“Study hall next, right?” she asked in lieu of a greeting. 

“Yes?”

“Come with me,” she said, grabbing his sleeve again and pulling him down the hallway.

“I can’t,” he tried to protest, but found himself unwilling to move in the opposite direction, “I’ll get counted absent again”

“Just watch,” she looked over her shoulder to grin at him. He was worried he may trip and fall as his legs suddenly went to jelly underneath him. It didn’t matter if it was the first smile or the 1,000, it still amazed him that she offered one to him at all. 

That was how the two of them ended up standing in front of Link’s study hall teacher who appeared more like some odd hylian version of a hinox than a man. He sat with his hands perched atop his round belly, his graying beard hiding in the folds of his chin. He barely moved his eyes as Zelda prepared a whole speech on why Link was needed in another class. To Link’s amazement, the man simply nodded and waved them away. Before he could question how she knew the man would agree, she had him nestled in the back of the building’s tech lab that was currently empty of students, save for Dr. Purah wildly typing away on her computer at the front of the room, her round glasses glaring from the brightly lit screen. She lifted a hand of acknowledgement to them and then proceeded to completely ignore their existence. 

“Get out your math stuff,” Zelda commanded as she sat down beside him. He was too fixated on how close their bodies were to truly pay attention. He wondered if it would be okay to kiss her then. They’d shared several since their first in Zelda’s hammock and although they’d never been anything but gentle and sweet, he always found himself chasing, always wanting more. He craved her affection and her attention like one might crave something to eat, the receiving of it just as fulfilling. He wondered if she could feel the heat emanating off of him. He tried to remember if he’d worn deodorant or not but found that section of his brain completely void of memory. Some mornings he’d make it to school with only a single sock or his pants unbuttoned, having readied himself in a hurried rush to get out the door without catching his father’s attention for something he had inevitably done wrong. He cursed his short attention span as she stared at him, ready for an answer. 

“What, why?” he answered as he looked at her. She was leaning forward, her eyes bright as she folded her hands that rested on the table. It made him want to kiss her even more. He licked his lips and pointedly looked down at his hands. 

“I’m gonna help you”

“I’ll do it later” 

“No, you’re busy later. We will do it now,” she objected, reaching for his backpack. 

He watched with his mouth slightly open as she shuffled through the loose papers he’d crammed inside until she found what she was looking for. It hadn’t taken long for the two of them to develop a comfort with one another. She had frequently let him search through her slate to see “how real people operate” and while he didn’t have much for her to pilfer through, he would simply hand her his backpack if she asked to borrow a pen or a piece of paper. Her favorite thing to do was steal his jackets and go through his pockets, finding spare coins and unraveled paper clips he’d fidgeted with all day. 

“What am I busy doing later?” 

“Talking to me, duh,” she replied, smiling as she waved the paper around before him, “Prepare to be taught, hero”  
It took him a solid few minutes to ignore his flustered feeling and also get over the embarrassment at having Zelda notice him falling behind. But she was patient with him, even forcing him to ask her to clarify when she noticed he still didn’t understand. Eventually, it clicked for him and when it did, he made an audible noise of understanding that made Zelda giggle. She sat and watched as he did the rest of the work on his own. When he was done, he laid his pencil down and rested his cheek on his hand to stare at her. 

“Thank you”

“Nah, it’s not that hard. You just missed the first day we learned it,” she said as she scooted closer to him. They always ended up like that; drawn into each other’s spaces. 

“I’m just not as smart as you”

“Don’t say that!” she scolded, her previously relaxed face ruffled into a deep frown.

“I’m not though”

“I will smack you”

She cringed at her own comment and froze, watching his face for a reaction, but smiled when he saw him playfully glaring at her. She picked up her own math book with a devilish grin on her face, holding it offensively before her like a batter in a line up. This time he didn’t flinch as she swatted him on the arm. Instead, he swatted her right back and they dissolved into a puddle of giggles and ticklish jabs until Dr. Purah loudly cleared her throat and they scrambled apart. 

“Thank you,” he said again as he started to pack his things. 

“Shut up,” she replied with a grin. 

* * *

Everyone soon noted the way they became inseparable at school. Zelda insisted that they walk together everywhere, always hand in hand. It had become so natural to him, that he often felt cold without her beside him. He found himself turning to make a sly comment or joke to her even when she wasn’t around. It was as if he’d lived his whole life half empty before she came to fill in the empty spaces. There were side hugs and stolen kisses that had started to deepen beyond the playful pecks on his cheek. More than once they’d found themselves stashed in a corner, breathless and red faced before remembering they weren’t alone. He loved the way Zelda would stare at him after with her hair slightly askew and her lips wet and swollen, curved in a shy smile despite the intimacy of what they’d just done. It was dizzying. He was half convinced he had somehow managed to slip into another person’s life. 

Zelda had somehow worked her magic and Link found himself dismissed from study hall and given a block of time in the tech lab with Dr. Purah despite never having paid the fee. He was amazed at the variety of tools and materials, from the shiny brass of Sheikah metal to goron forged hinges, and the blue flame from the generator that seemed to sleep in the back of the room. Zelda had explained that her father had sponsored the building of the lab in an attempt to encourage more young people to pursue the sciences. He provided slates from his company for students to experiment on and would visit the labs to look over their tinkering and make note of their discoveries. Link wondered how such an important man made time to indulge curious teenagers. He wondered how much of it was just a veiled attempt to see Zelda at school. He couldn’t say he blamed him. 

He enjoyed his new class much more than his others. The structure of this block of time flew in direct contrast to the lectures of his other teachers. Dr. Purah would simply introduce a part of the slate and then direct them to the tool table before immersing herself in her own studies. Link had been hesitant to touch anything at first, but Zelda all but shoved tools in his hands and he tinkered along with the rest of them. He liked taking apart the little pieces, but what he enjoyed more were the blank slates with empty programming. 

“How did you do  _ that?!”  _ Zelda demanded as she looked over his shoulder. 

He’d figured out the coding portion of the slate’s rune page and maneuvered the numbers and figures around until he’d discovered a way to manipulate their size and position on the screen. He’d made the picture rune extra large, displaying a playful photo of himself with his tongue out, framed by other runes that were less important. 

“I don’t know, I was just messing around,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the screen. 

“Dr. Purah! Come here!” Zelda hollered across the room. 

Link blushed at the attention and watched as the woman made her way through the maze of students.

“My Gods, that’s beautiful,” she said as she saw the screen of his slate, “Individual customization...organized by size and position determined by its owner. Brilliant!” 

Link’s eyes darted back and forth between the girls in front of him, feeling very scrutinized.

“Has no one else ever done this before?” he asked shyly.

“You’re a natural with coding, kid. You need to show Mr. Hyrule,” Dr. Purah replied, taking the slate from his hands to investigate his work more closely. 

“No, I’m not. I don’t know what I’m doing”

“Stop it!” Zelda scolded, “Just say thank you!” 

“You’re just a good teacher,” he replied modestly, making Zelda’s eyes roll so far back in her head Link was worried she’d be forever blinded. 

“Well I, for one, know how to take a compliment. Of course I am. Now, write down everything you did. I want a full report for Mr. Hyrule by tomorrow”

He opened his mouth to complain but she’d already started the short trip back to her desk, furiously writing something on a clipboard. He sighed and turned to Zelda who was sitting with a judgmental look on her face. 

“What?” he questioned. 

She simply raised a brow. 

“ _ What?!”  _ he said again, slightly raising his voice. 

“Why are you like that?” 

“Like what?”  
She groaned and pushed off the table, letting herself spin in her rolling chair before coming to a stop before him. 

“Why do you think you’re never good at anything? You never say anything good about yourself and you’re always so scared that someone else will. You’re constantly telling me you’re not smart or you’re clumsy or forgetful or whatever else it is. But you  _ never  _ say one thing good. Why?” 

His throat constricted and any words he’d had on deck died there. He didn’t know how to answer her. He hadn’t noticed that was something he did. He supposed it was because it was all he’d ever heard. His father was always reminding him that he was nothing other than a burden or a mistake. His teachers were constantly pointing out his slipping grades or his lack of motivation. His mouth twitched as he pulled desperately at any string in his mind that could possibly explain that to her without dropping the curtain so that she could see his ugly truth. That she’d seen something in him that might not be there. He didn’t want the illusion to end so quickly. 

“I just wish you could see how good you are,” she said softly, breaking the silence that had grown between them. Her previously angry face had softened and she reached for his hand under the table. 

“You’re very sweet and you  _ are  _ smart and you’re the best friend I’ve ever had”

He squeezed her hand and bit his bottom lip before nodding. It was the best he could do as he tried not to let all his feelings run down his cheeks. Eventually he cleared his throat and brushed at his eyes with his sleeve.

“Do you wanna...um...help me write that report for your dad after school today?” he asked carefully. 

Suddenly, Zelda’s eyes lit up and she nearly leapt from her chair. 

“Oh my Gods, yes! I need to give you something anyway! You should come over!” 

He opened his mouth to tell her that he couldn’t, just like he’d done hundreds of times before.  _ I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.  _ The words were always right there like an ATM, ready to be dispensed. But he ignored the thought and nodded again. He knew his father would be angry, but he also knew he no longer cared. He’d take whatever punishment he had to if it meant spending more time with Zelda.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the space between his chin and his chest. He could feel her warm breath tracking across his skin. He settled his own arms around her and closed his eyes, trying not to shiver. 

“Did you finally finish your guardian?” he asked with a smile he knew she couldn’t see, “Are you going to finally shoot me with it?”

“No,” she sighed, “Dad said it was an abomination and asked that I dismantle it in the name of science”

Link snorted and turned his face into her hair. She smelled like honeysuckle and safflina. 

“Did you forget to put on deodorant this morning? You’re a little rank” 

He let his head fall completely limp on her as he groaned.

“Damn it”

She laughed and he could feel its vibrations through his own body. He squeezed her tighter until Dr. Purah threw a dry erase marker at them and threatened to send them both to Death Mountain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I failed on my daily updates yesterday. I haven't felt very good. I don't think it's the rona, but I do spend a lot of time around small germ factories. I should have edited this chapter more, but I'm sickly and just wanted to put something out there. Have you ever laid down after work and then just...didn't wake up until the next morning? That was me. I still had yesterday's work clothes on. It was a wild ride. 
> 
> If I skip a few days, just know I'm nursing myself back to health and will be back with some fresh angst for you soon!


	8. Chapter 8

Zelda tried not to watch as Link got in her car, moving extra slowly as he eyed the now cleared floorboard. He raised both his brows as he turned to her and wiggled his feet in the extra space. There was a small smile on his face as he sat quietly, knowing he didn’t actually have to say anything for her to understand what he meant. 

“Stop it or I’ll throw my backpack down there,” she laughed. 

“So much extra space,” he pretended to marvel as he stretched out. 

“I’m not kidding!” 

He even turned around and looked in her backseat, which had previously been inhabited by the previous year's entire load of homework, a week’s worth of coffee cups, and enough jackets to give to an entire kindergarten class. Why did she own so many jackets? And why was she always stealing his?

“Who else is coming?” he asked playfully, knowing it would just be the two of them. 

“I’m going to Mipha’s after I drop you off at the senior citizen center,” she deadpanned.

He let out a dramatized noise of hurt as he turned away from her to study the window. But it had him wondering something. Other than lunch, he wasn’t sure when Zelda had been seeing her other friends. He knew she still talked to them on the slate and they would stand around between classes long enough to gossip about Grante’s new girlfriend, but she’d spent every free moment with him now for months. 

“Do you miss Mipha? Or Riju? Paya? They could really come if you wanted them to. I don’t mind”

She reached out to flip the tag back inside his shirt. He shivered when her cold fingers made contact with his skin. 

“Hmm, I like it better when it's just me and you”

“But aren’t they your friends?”

She flopped over in her seat so that her cheek rested on the cold leather. He did the same, his hair falling in his eyes at the movement. She reached out and pushed it aside. She was always finding excuses to touch him. 

“Yeah, but you’re different. Really, Riju and Paya are best friends and I’ve known Mipha a long time but she’s always busy with the swim team and when she comes over we end up just looking at our slates for hours until she leaves” 

A doleful expression came across his face as he watched her. 

“But why would you need to be on your slate if you have each other there to talk to?”  
  
She beamed at him, her eyes crinkling with the force of it before she reached over and grabbed his hand where he had it rested near the cup holder. 

“That’s why I like you better,” she said, running her thumb along the lines on his palm.

“So...I don’t have to go to the senior citizen center then?”

She burst into laughter and her eyes were so bright that he thought they would signal lifeforms on another planet. 

“I guess another day then. Though Granny Lasli would have appreciated your company”

He hummed softly as he looked her over.

“You could take her to the dance instead”

“Oh!” she squealed, almost coming out of her seat, “That reminds me. I need to give you your gift!”

“Zelda, why-”

“Stop that,” she warned with a finger before buckling herself into her seat, “I was going to give it to you at school but since you’re coming over I’ll do it there. I think dad is home too. He promised me a fruit cake”

“Gifts and cake. What’s the occasion?” he asked, clicking his own belt into place. 

“It’s Thursday”

He found himself thankful he’d been invited into their strange little world where fathers were kind and he didn’t have to dodge flying objects or fists or wonder if he’d be locked out of his house for the night. He wondered what it was like to feel that type of safety. To know that he was loved. He felt a warmth growing in his chest as he realized it was slowly starting to occur to him that he  _ did _ know what it felt like now. It wasn’t the desperate love he held for his mother or the yearning love he’d once had for his father when he was little enough to look past the abuse. It was genuine and it was  _ real  _ and he had told himself to quit questioning whether or not he deserved it and start enjoying it instead. He watched as Zelda happily sang and swerved into traffic on their way to her home, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from bubbling over too intensely. 

When they arrived at Zelda’s house they could smell cake from the driveway. Zelda nearly bounced up the steps with Link close behind. Remy stood in the kitchen, his button up from work rolled up his biceps, his hair tied up loosely in a bun. 

“Hi Dad” 

“Hi, Mr. Hyrule”

Remy turned around at their voices, licking the icing of his finger before grinning at them in greeting. He didn’t seem to notice the glob of white that was clinging to his beard. 

“It’s our resident hero! You haven’t frightened the boy off yet, Princess?”

“Dad!” Zelda cringed, rolling her head back. 

“Has he seen your room yet?  
  
“DAD” 

“I’m assuming he’s seen your car. She’s part bokoblin, I think,” he said as he turned around to continue slathering the cake in the white icing. 

“Oh, her car is nice and clean,” Link chimed in, reaching for Zelda’s hand so they could swing their arms together.

Remy turned back around slowly and wiggled his eyebrows at Zelda.

“Are we looking to impress, my princess? Dare say I can’t blame you. I quite like him too. Just look at him. All proper and polite. No one calls me me Mr. Hyrule, not even Impa” 

“Impa’s a jerk,” Zelda said, plopping down at a bar stool that lined the little island in their kitchen, pushing Link into his own chair beside her. She cupped his hand in both of hers and held it in her lap like a prize. 

“She is a highly motivated business woman with no sense of humor. She was quite peeved at me for leaving again. But I couldn’t remember if this baby takes an hour or two to bake and there was no way I was going to leave you hanging like that. Not on this day, the anniversary of the late Queen Zelda’s coronation, one thousand and...some years ago”

“She’s an ass” 

Remy turned around and flung some icing on Zelda’s shirt and she stood and gaped at him before wiping it off with a finger to taste it, sticking out her tongue to let him know he hadn’t won their little exchange. 

“In front of my guest!” he chided, waging the spatula at her. 

“He’s  _ my  _ guest!” 

Link watched their back and forth like a child watching a cartoon. He didn’t know anyone’s parents to be as relaxed as Mr. Hyrule. His mother had indulged in play with him when he had been younger, but his father never had. He’d always been scared of him, for as long as he could remember. Even before he’d started punishing him physically, he’d made comments that would leave Link feeling small and ashamed of himself. He’d wet the bed for an extended period of time, simply because he was frightened every night that he would and his father would discover it again. He’d wake up crying and run to his mother, burying himself under her covers as if he wouldn’t be discovered there. Still, there was some part of him that always wanted his attention. He used to leave his homework with good marks on them out where he could see them, but he always found them in the trash the next day. He even went out of his way to get things he thought his father might need, like leaving out his coffee mug or bringing him a beer. But he'd always seen the negative side of it. He was too slow, his beer too cold, his mug dirty. Eventually he’d stopped trying. 

“Hey!” Zelda squealed and he forced himself to see the good in where he was now. 

“What’s up, little man? You look lost in space,” Remy said as his laughter died down and he started slicing up the cake. 

“Oh. I just...I like it here,” he blushed, looking downward as he swallowed hard, embarrassment creeping up his neck. 

“Well you’re welcome anytime,” Remy smiled at him after sharing a look with Zelda who seemed to deflate at his comment. She could almost hear what he didn’t say.  _ I don’t like it at my house.  _ It broke her heart. She shuffled closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“Let’s eat some cake,” she said, “For the Queen”

“For the Queen!” Remy toasted with his fork before diving in.

It was the best thing Link had ever tasted.

When her cake was nearly finished, Zelda gasped and jumped in her seat while Link froze mid bite to gawk at her. 

"Your gift!" 

She stood suddenly and ran back out to her car to retrieve the box she’d been hiding from him all day. She settled it on the counter before him and sat back, eyeing him curiously as he looked at her but didn’t touch it. 

“Why does this feel like a birthday party?”

She gasped and nearly fell off her barstool again, her excitement too much to be contained in her small body. 

“IS IT? When is your birthday? Why have I not asked this?”

He laughed and pulled the box towards himself. 

“No, my birthday is in the summer”

“Oh my Gods, a Farore baby. He  _ is  _ the hero, Zelda,” Remy called from the next room, his mouth full of cake. 

“Dad, go away!” she yelled at her father who laughed all the way up the stairs to his office. 

“Am I invited to your birthday party?” 

He pretended to think it over as she spun around on her seat and giggled. 

“Just open it already!”

He pulled up the tape from the cardboard box and slid out the plastic wrapped fabric from inside. Ripping it open, he unfolded a black t-shirt sporting a rather tawdry artistic representation of the phases of the moon that faded into a full blood moon, complete with a group of angry stalfos holding canes and a crooked font that read, “ _ Let’s Get Crackin”.  _ It was so much like something that would catch Zelda’s eye that he couldn’t stop the flight of laughter that escaped his mouth. 

“ _ Why  _ did you buy me this?!”

She fell apart right alongside him, her face scarlet as she let loose. 

“Isn’t it  _ hideous?!  _ But just wait!”

She reached under the cabinet and pulled out another plastic bag, unwrapping it to reveal the same shirt in a smaller size. 

“You got two of them?!”

“For the dance! So we can match!”

He let the shirt fall to the counter and swooped her up in his arms, twirling her around the kitchen as their giggles bounced off the walls. She wrapped her arms around his neck and threw back her head, letting her long hair dust the cabinets as they spun around. 

“I love it!” 

_ And I love you,  _ Zelda said in her brain as they slowed and he tried to recover from his brief bout of confidence by running his hand down his face that seemed permanently plastered with a grin. 

“You two are quite the pair,” Remy’s voice startled them from the entryway to the kitchen where he had leaned on the wall to watch, holding his empty plate in his hand, “where’s my matching shirt?”

Zelda rolled her eyes and took his plate from him before putting it in the sink. 

“Hey! I was coming for another slice!” 

Link sat on his barstool with his face in his hands and his heart bursting from his chest. It felt good to feel like part of a real family, even if it wasn’t his. 

“Hey, have you ever been in a hot tub?” Zelda asked abruptly as she dried her hands after washing her father’s plate off in the sink and putting it in their dishwasher. 

He shook his head and she started bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

“It’s the best when it's cold outside, we should do it! You can borrow some of Dad’s shorts, come on!” 

She didn’t wait on him to reply before she was pulling him upstairs and shoving him with a pair of shorts into a bathroom to change. He felt his anxiety start eating away at him as he switched into Remy’s much too large shorts, tying the waist as tight as he could. He looked horrible. His back and stomach were splotchy with a patchwork of different colored bruises all in various stages of healing. He had scars littered here and there from accidents and incidents from when he was younger and others more recent. HIs parents had never taken him to the doctor for his various injuries, which resulted in many of them healing awkwardly, puckering his skin. He slipped his own shirt back on and met her outside on the deck where she was messing with the buttons and valves, switching between the flashing colors until she found a bright blue that reminded him of the slate home screen. 

Zelda wore a simple swimsuit; a black one piece with the sides mostly open, on her back a lattice of crossing straps. She stood in the chilling autumn air with her arms wrapped around her, realizing for the first time that he was seeing her mostly unclothed. Her impulsivity had clouded the more logical parts of her brain as she stood there, now mildly self-conscious before him. 

“Stop staring,” she scolded him with a glint in her eye when she caught his eyes wondering. 

He swallowed and laughed nervously, running his fingers alongside the bottom hem of his shirt. 

“You look nice,” he mumbled. 

“You’re gonna get your shirt wet”

“It’s okay”

“You’ll be cold later”

“I’ll be fine”

“Link”

He looked up at her, feigning innocence until he saw the serious set of her eyes. 

“It’s okay...I promise”

He could barely hear her over the sound of the jets. It was an unspoken truth between them now. He knew that she’d seen his bruises and that she was smart enough to piece together the rest. But he didn’t answer, choosing instead to study the grain in the wood beneath her feet which were shuffling nervously. He nodded and took a deep breath, slightly lifting the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head. He kept his eyes off her face as a quiet fell over them. When he looked up he didn’t see what he thought he would. She stood with her eyes red and rimmed in tears, her hands clenched tightly before her chest. She said nothing, choosing instead to run up to him and wrap him in a tight hug. She held him until the sound on the tub behind them beeped, indicating it was warmed through. 

“Don’t go home,” she whispered, “Just stay here with me and Dad” 

He sighed and kissed the top of her head. He didn’t want her to cry for him. He wanted her to know that every night he sat in his bedroom nursing a new bruise, the sound of his slate vibrating with a new message from her numbed the pain. That his evenings spent at her house supplied him with enough hope for his future that he no longer dreaded the walk from his bedroom to his front door in the mornings. He wanted to tell her that she’d shown him that his life had value and that if the only reason he existed was to make her smile, he would do his best to ensure it happened everyday. He thought that maybe he’d tell her those things one day when they weren’t shivering on her back porch, when he wasn’t awkwardly wearing a borrowed pair of her father’s swim trunks and perhaps maybe when she had more clothes on as he was finding that to be more of a distraction than the tempest of emotion that had been started thrashing around inside him the moment she saw his truth painted across his body. 

“Are we getting in or just standing out here?”   
  
She pulled back from him at the sound of his voice and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand before smiling. 

“I call the seat with the jets” 

“I don’t even know what that means,” he grinned in return, "but now _I_ want the seat with the jets"  
  
They spent the evening splashing each other and sloshing the warm water over the sides of the pool as they laughed. Remy watched on from the kitchen window, having come downstairs to put away the leftover cake. His eyes caught on the series of marks across Link’s left shoulder, ranging from deep purple to a sickly shade of green. He paused as he slid one of the dirty plates into the soapy water of the sink, contemplating how one might receive such an injury. When Link turned around to the front, he saw more marks across his chest before he sank back down in the water. He thought about Zelda as she had cried on him and shared her worries for Link’s safety. Had she been right? Was he being hurt at home? Link was a strong kid. He was no match for Remy in height, but he wasn’t a bean pole either. He was well built and while a little on the skinny side, seemed like he could pack a punch if he put his mind to it. Remy had never thought about a kid his age being abused, it was always little kids. Why would he stay there if that was happening? He licked his lips clean of the frosting as he felt the dead weight of concern drop in his stomach. What was he to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna admit I was like, "hey remember when you mentioned a hot tub?" and then I was like ... ... ... okay why not. But it just worked out perfect for the dialogue I wanted in there. Link is slowly letting her in and that was a big step. 
> 
> I'm alive! Hope you enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

Life for Link had taken on a new shape. He’d almost completely stopped daydreaming, unless it was about Zelda of course, and he often woke with a smile on his face. One particularly cold morning, he stirred out of his sleep to the sound of his father’s truck rumbling out of their driveway earlier than usual, when traces of night still clung in the darkest corners of his room. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and opened his door to peer into his parent’s bedroom. His heart dropped to the floor when he saw the empty bed. Where had she gone? He raced through the house until stumbling out the front door and finally exhaled when he saw her sitting peacefully on the steps, her small form gently lit in the weak morning sun as she nursed a cup of cold coffee in her hands. She wasn’t dressed for the weather, wearing instead a thin shirt and a pair of his father’s pajama pants rolled up at the waist. He took a deep breath, holding onto the door frame to steady himself before sitting down beside her. 

“Good morning,” he said, noticing the red on her cheeks.

She turned her head perhaps a little too slowly, but managed to greet him with a small tip of the corner of her mouth. 

“You’re up early," she replied slowly, watching her reflection as it contorted in the dark liquid. 

“Aren’t you cold?”

“No...I'm fine"

“You’ll get sick like this” He stood and reentered the house for a blanket that he draped over her shoulders. She sighed and let it slip off one of them before setting her cup down on the step beside her to hold her hands in her lap.

“He left early today,” Link commented, wrapping his own arms around his legs as he pulled them close to his body to stave off the cold. He hadn’t thought to get a blanket for himself. 

“Extra shift”

“Will he stay late too?”

She shifted, eyeing him with emotion before dropping her gaze again. 

“I think so”

“Oh”

Link drew circles on the aging wood with his fingers as they fell into an uncomfortable silence. He’d tried so hard for long to get her to talk to him. It was moments like these when it was easiest, when his father’s presence had lifted enough to allow them the freedom to wait each other out. But she was unpredictable and could shut down between words. He never knew how she would react. He worried his lip with his teeth as he listened to the chipmunks and the other rodents scavenging around their yard before he finally opening his mouth. 

“I...I made a new friend at school”

“Is it that girl you talked about? What was her name…”

“Zelda,” he smiled shyly, even though no one was looking at him, “I...I like her a lot. She’s funny and her dad is really cool. She asked me to the winter dance. It’s not a fancy one so you don’t have to buy me anything. She got me a shirt to wear though. But...please don’t tell dad. He won’t let me go”

She rested her hand on his leg that was bouncing on the step beneath him and rubbed her thumb idly back and forth.

“I won’t say anything”

“Maybe...maybe one day you could meet her? I think you’d like her. You could maybe, like, have dinner with us at her house. Her dad wouldn’t mind. Maybe on a night dad works late...or something,” he trailed off and he stared at her hand. 

“You should go, Link” 

He turned to look at her in confusion, her sallow face even more hollow in the morning light. Her eyes were rimmed in their usual red, but behind them lay a new sadness. One he didn’t recognize. 

“It’s okay, it’s still early. I won’t be late for school”

“No, baby. I mean...you should go”

“Go where?”

“You don’t have to stay here for me” 

He choked on his next words as he stopped moving entirely. Even his hands in his lap that he’d been wringing together stopped their anxious movements. 

“But mom-”

“I’ve been a terrible mother to you” 

“Don’t say that, mom. You’re just sick-”

“Link,  _ stop _ ,” she raised her voice as she hardened her eyes. He felt like a child beneath them, like he’d knocked over a picture frame or spilled a drink. But those days of his innocence were over. He was accustomed to being spoken down to now and he’d realized long ago that it was merely his presence that had earned it, not his actions. He took in a sharp breath and forced himself to calm.  _ She’s just sick,  _ he repeated his inner mantra,  _ she doesn’t mean it _ . He wrapped the blanket tighter around her as she burned a hole in him with her eyes. 

“Come inside, it’s too cold out here,” he insisted, ignoring her previous statement. 

She let out a pained noise as her head fell forward into her hands and she began to cry. He didn’t know what to do. He knew he needed to get her inside, but he didn’t want to hurt her. He settled for lightly leaning his head on her arm, letting her know he was there if she wanted him, though she rarely did. 

“He hurts you,” she cried, giving it voice for the first time, “and you don’t even say anything about it”

“It’s okay, mom,” he replied, “I’m okay”

His words seemed to do the opposite of comfort as she fell into a deeper fit of crying. She shook under the blanket and he was as helpless as he always was. He wanted to call Zelda. He wanted to call anyone that could help her, but he didn’t. He knew the moment he did his father would be there to blame him for starting it in the first place and she would end up believing every lie he lovingly planted in her head. It had always ended up that way. He always knew just the right things to tell her to twist her mind into seeing him as the source of her upset. Link was painted as the instigator, a thorn in their side, something they should have taken out before it wormed its way through their relationship like a parasite. When he was little he was always too loud. Too messy. Too inconsiderate of her hairpin triggers. So they made him go to sleep with drinks and pills inside of special treats or locked him in his room with a handful of toys or notebooks to entertain him. He’d draw her cards in the dark to apologize even when he didn’t understand what he did to deserve his punishment, but the moment she saw them she would dissolve into a new fit that had his father dragging him back to his room by the collar of his shirt, or as he got older, by twisting his elbow behind his back. Then there were the nights he’d wake to her beside him in his bed when she’d directed her rage at his father instead and allowed herself the freedom to love him. It left him confused and conflicted. All he’d ever wanted was to help her, even when she pushed him away. But it only made him chase it that much harder. 

“I’m really okay, mom. I promise. I know you try. It’s okay”

She yanked herself out of his space and stood up, causing him to nearly fall backwards off the porch with the force of it

“Don’t!” she yelled, pointing her finger at him, “You stop that!”

“Mom?” he questioned, his voice soft, wondering what he’d done wrong. She looked at him as he looked up at her. Sometimes, he still looked like the little boy who would stand at the side of her bed with a toy truck and ask her to play. How she wanted to have him back, that bright eyed child who would ask her if she wanted a lullaby as she went to bed for the 6th time that day, leaving him to fend for himself until his father came home and blamed him for everything she hadn’t done in his absence. Now he was nearly a man, scared by a life she’d subjected him to. Yet he still clung to the idea that she would one day spring out from under her covers and ask him if he wanted to be the super hero or the bad guy. She couldn’t stand it. 

“I’m going to bed,” she said flatly, lip quivering. 

She dropped the blanket on the ground as she blearily reached for the handle of their screen door, missing it a few times before making contact. 

“Mom are you okay?”

“I said STOP, Link!” her voice carried across the yard, frightening off the few birds that had yet to fly away for winter, “Stop pretending this is okay! Go!” 

He sat still as the screen door slammed closed, ending their conversation before he could reply. Suddenly numb to the cold, he buried his face in his knees and willed himself to stay there forever until it eventually stopped his heart. 

* * *

Zelda could sense that something was off the moment she saw him in the hallway. Despite his attempts to laugh and joke with her, she could tell he was hiding something. In their Faronian literature class, he propped his head on his hand and stared out the window. In math, he didn’t even write his name on his paper, choosing instead to absently run his pencil back and forth in a single motion before it ripped through, leaving a trail of graphite behind that smudged the edges of his palms until they were black. It continued that way until they made it to the tech lab, where she had finally had enough. 

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, taking his pencil from him so that he could no longer use it as a distraction. 

“Nothing,” he answered flatly, “Just...tired”

“Link,” she grumbled, “Just stop it and tell me!”

He seemed to shatter internally at her choice of words, something within him breaking and lacerating him into a thousand places, drowning him from the inside out with all it spilled inside of him. He began breathing quickly, his face reddening as his eyes darted around the room for somewhere safe. Zelda sucked in a breath and felt her own panic rising. She didn’t understand what she’d done. It wasn’t the first time she’d been a little forceful with him. He tended to need that reminder to open up and talk and had never reacted that way before. She flashed a distressing look at Dr. Purah who pointed to her office door before throwing a lanyard attached to some keys her way. She caught them and stood, pulling Link up with her. He didn’t have it in him to fight her and let himself be dragged into the office until he was sliding down against the closed door, Zelda following right behind him. 

Then he let it go. Everything he’d pushed aside, everything he’d painted prettier with lies and half truths. He broke down in the dimly lit office with Zelda clinging to his side as he sputtered for breath, his mind searching for any reason he even bothered to breathe at all. 

“You should...leave me” 

“No”

“I’m not-”

“Nope”

“But you-”

“Not a chance”

He choked on his own tears before finally looking at her. She had started crying too, her eyes lined in red and her lashes wet. She very much appeared brokenhearted at his state and he couldn’t for the life of him understand why. Why hadn’t she thrown him away like everyone else? Didn’t she understand that there was nothing he could give her? That this was who he really was, a spineless little boy crying for his mother? Didn’t she know she deserved so more much than he would ever be able to give?

“Zelda, _I’m broken_ ,” he wept as he watched the tears trace the contours of her face. 

Her eyes darted all over him. To his swollen face, the way he gripped the edges of his shirt, the pleading look in his eyes just begging her to leave him. To solidify for him what he knew to be an unchangeable truth and she knew to be a lie he’d allowed himself to believe. That he was unworthy. True to form, she reacted without thinking. She lifted her hands to cradle his cheeks, using her thumbs to wipe the tears before saying the one thing he didn’t know he needed to hear. 

“I love you anyway”

Her face was a patchwork of blurry lines and the glare of the old fluorescent light that flickered above them in glowing shapes reminiscent of the plastic material that lined the inside. His throat was sore, his eyes were blurry, and his heart felt like it’d been thrashed to the ground and then lovingly placed back in his chest with shaking hands. He was empty, but oh so full. He was heartbroken, but so full of love. It wasn’t the biting, misplaced love he held for his mother that had only ever been returned in moments so small he had to cling to the very edges of them to feel their warmth. His love for Zelda was real and it was bigger than that tiny office. It was bigger than the entire school or even his imagination. As he stared at her through the haze of his breakdown, he realized she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. 

“I love the way you always answer me when I message you. Even if it’s 4 hours later,” she continued, still holding onto him. His breathing slowed as the entire world slowed down around her. 

“I love that you make sure you’re not holding my hand too tight or offer me your jacket even though I know you hate the cold and are probably colder than I am”

He felt a tear edge its way into the corner of his mouth.

“And I love how thoughtful you are. You remember everything I’ve ever said to you. Nobody else ever does that for me. People tend to ignore me and tell me I talk too much. But not you, you listen. I bet you even remember why I don’t like pomegranates”

He felt his jaw quiver as he watched a tiny sea crest on the edge of her eyes. 

“The seeds make you uncomfortable. Like you’re eating little slimy marbles,” he stuttered through shaky breaths. 

She laughed and the new tears finally started their descent down her cheeks. 

“I love you, Link. I’m sorry if that's weird or-”

He didn’t let her finish her thought before he pushed forward and captured her lips in a kiss that was not like the ones they shared when they thought no one was looking in the hallway. He kissed her as if he was trying to refill his emptiness with everything that was  _ her _ , drinking in her very essence with every gasp and shift of their wet skin as she crawled further into his lap. They pulled apart heaving and he wiped his face on his sleeve. He was a mess of tears and slobber and the general ugliness that came with that type of cry. 

“Thank you,” he sniffled.

She hummed softly, a slight crinkle to her eye, “why are you thanking me?” she laughed. 

“Because you’re the only person whose ever meant it”

She kissed him again after cleaning her own face and snuggled into him, wrapping her arms around his chest which was still stuttering as he calmed down. 

“What happened?”

He was silent for a long before he answered. Zelda could hear the bell ringing inside the building and the shuffling of feet as the other students left for the day. None of it mattered to her anymore. There was only him and only her and maybe Dr. Purah standing awkwardly on the other side of the door. 

“It was my mom”

“Is she okay?”

He shifted her in his lap so that he could fit more snuggly against her before answering. 

“Do you miss your mom?” 

It took her a moment to shift back into the mindset of even having one. It had been so long. She closed her eyes as she let herself remember. There wasn’t much, just the brief glimpse of a blonde woman at her beside. A lullaby she’d forgotten the words to. She wasn’t sure if her memories were actually her own or just stories her father had told her. She loved the idea of her mother, but she’d been so young when she died that it felt normal now for her not to have one. 

“I don’t know,” she replied honestly, “I’m happy with just Dad. I know he misses her though. They were best friends for a long time before they had me. He said I was their last great adventure, or something sappy like that” It was exactly something Link could almost hear the man saying in his mind, the smile it brought to his face fading just as quickly as it came as he thought about his next words. 

“She told me to leave”

“Like, she kicked you out?”

“No…” he searched himself for the right words. How could she understand? How could anyone possibly understand? But he had to try. He couldn't keep locking himself away in a world where he was the only one that shouldered his pain. 

“I think she was trying to tell me to run away, because of…”

“Because of your dad,” she finished for him. 

He nodded.  “Yeah”

He let the acknowledgement of it sit between them like a corpse. It was the chain he carried around, always shackled to his heart. The shame. The fear. He’d hoped to hide it from her, but it was hard when it was branded into his skin and she could read him like an open book. 

“You want to stay there?”

“No, it’s-” his words caught in his throat as he choked on a fresh wave of tears. Zelda held him closer. 

“I used to dream about running away all the time. I even drew maps when I was little. I was going to build a little fort out in the woods. I would sneak behind restaurants to find food or scavenge for wild berries. I had it all planned out. Then I got older and started making real plans. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I think there are places that would accept her, that would help her. But I didn’t realize that there was a crucial flaw in my plan”

He sucked in another breath, willing himself to continue, to rid himself of it once and for all.

“I think I finally realized today that she’d never come with me. She would never choose me over him. I don’t know what I did wrong, Zelda. I don’t know why I can’t let her go” 

She squeezed him as he cried anew. It made sense to her now. Why he never left. Why he continually allowed himself to be beaten and abused. He did it all because he’d convinced himself it was somehow helping her. That if he could wait it out long enough he could save both of them. 

“Because you love her,” she replied simply, feeling his heart through his ribcage mourning along with the rest of him. She wanted nothing more than to soothe it. To bandage all it’s broken pieces. 

“Yeah,” he cried softly, “ _ I’m so stupid _ ”

She sat up and did nothing but scowl at him and he wilted underneath it, mouthing a “sorry” before she laid back down on him. They stayed that way until the last bell, signifying the last of the busses pulling out of the lot.

“I don’t want to go home”  
  
“Good, ‘cause you’re coming home with me”  
  
“Your dad won’t care?”  
  
She laughed and stood, offering out a hand after smoothing out her clothes. 

“No, he likes you. He may not even be home tonight. There’s some big thing at work he’s been working on. He’ll probably just order us a pizza and then text me a 1,000 times when he should be working. I keep trying to tell him he needs a girlfriend to text instead of me but he says ‘my ship has already sailed’ or something cryptic like that” 

Link smiled and took her hand as they made it out to the parking lot. 

“Did you sail your ship?” he asked as he pushed through the already growing bundle of trash in her floorboard.

“Aye, aye captain,” she grinned back at him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On this episode of my depressing story: Link has a bad day.


	10. Chapter 10

Zelda was somehow both amazed and offended that Link had never tried hot tea as she rummaged through their cabinets for her favorite mug, one that looked like a little chuchu jelly with it’s little arm as the handle. 

“How are you even alive?”

“I don’t know. I just keep waking up, I guess”

He sat at their island while she measured and poured, her eyes gleaming as the first tendrils of steam trickled out of the tea pot before it let out a loud whistling noise Link had only ever heard on TV. She squealed in delight and poured the hot liquid over the tea bags, letting it steep perhaps not long enough before her impatience got the better of her and she started drizzling the honey.

“My grandma sends us this honey. She’s a beekeeper up in Necluda” 

“Isn’t it like, super cold there all the time?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how it works. But she makes some good honey. You should visit there with us”

He nodded as he sipped the liquid, sighing in contentment as the hot sweetness coated him all the way through. 

“You’re right. I must have been dead before,” he breathed as he peeked an eye open to glance at her. 

She giggled as she sipped her own drink, barely hiding her smile behind the edge of her cup. He wondered when he was going to wake up in his own bed and find that it had all been a fever dream. That he’d just hit his head a little too hard and ended up in a different dimension. 

“Let’s go watch TV”

They settled comfortably together on the couch, with Zelda eventually covering half his body with her own. He was so warm and so comfortable and so at peace that for once, he didn’t feel guilty that he wasn’t at home. If his mother needed something, she could just get it herself. She had told him to go, after all. He was just respecting her wishes. He knew his father would be furious at him, but he couldn’t hurt him at Zelda’s house. He was safe. Somewhere between a documentary on Sheikah martial arts and a reality show about Zoras falling in love with Ritos, he found he could no longer keep his eyes open. He fell asleep with his arm around Zelda’s waist and his cheek pressed into the soft velvet cushion of their couch. 

When Zelda noticed he was no longer responding to her constant commentary, she wiggled off him and covered him quickly with her plush blanket, kissing him on the cheek as he turned and settled in his sleep. She reached for her slate and messaged her dad. 

_ How long would I have to stay in jail for kidnapping? _

His response came almost instantly. She laughed picturing him hiding his slate under his desk, jumping out of his skin when it vibrated. She could almost see Impa’s exasperated expression as he ignored everyone else in favor of texting her. 

_ What did you do now? _

_Can Link live with us?  
_ _  
_ She saw him struggle with a response as the dots on her screen popped up and down like someone in a wave pool.

_ Can we talk when I get home? _

_ Well. I might have already brought him home.  _

_ Did something happen? _

Then it was her turn to be unsure of what to say. Link hadn’t really said  _ anything  _ concrete. It was more of what he didn’t say that had her completely convinced. She looked at his sleeping form on her couch. He’d been so open and vulnerable with her. Was it her place to share his secrets? But if she didn’t, would it ever end? Their responses came rapidly back and forth. 

_ He just can’t go home _

_Is he in trouble?  
_ _  
__No! His dad is just an asshole._

_ Well being an asshole is not grounds to get your son kidnapped _

_ What about abusing your kid? _

Her slate went eerily quiet. He didn’t even attempt to type as he sat in the brightly lit high rise office that housed his company. He was an incredibly intelligent man. He’d built a company from the group up from a single idea. He managed people, he managed machines, he managed other companies that worked for him. He could oversee thousands of workers, unravel complex lines of codes, build a successful marketing campaign. He could do anything. But this was something he didn’t know how to do. 

_ I’ll be home soon _

_ Love you Dad _

_ Love you too _

Zelda let her slate screen darken as she crawled back on top of Link, warming inside when he seemed to reach for her in his sleep out of reflex. 

* * *

“It’s okay, I’ll go,” Link said awkwardly as he sat uncomfortably between them on the couch. Remy had arrived home a few hours earlier and while he wasn’t angry, he just wanted to know why Link wouldn’t tell him the whole truth.

“No!” Zelda yelled and Remy ran a hand down his face. 

“Link, I’m not upset with you. Just help me understand. You are welcome here always and you can stay tonight, but if you’re asking to live here I need to know that your folks aren’t going to call the police on me and accuse me of kidnapping”

He cringed at the thought of police involvement. Police meant interrogations, more questions, a battle of wills between him and his father who would no doubt come up with some story on why it was all his fault in the first place. He’d been lying to child protective services his whole life and had no reason to think they would believe him now. 

“He wouldn’t call the police,” Link said confidently. That much he knew was true. If the police ever raided their house and found their stash of illegal medication, it would make life a lot more difficult for everyone involved. If they even just lifted Link’s shirt he would have a hell of a time explaining why his son looked like an oil painting. He couldn’t lie away everything. Link had been careful to never give any hints on where Zelda lived. He knew in his heart they would never find him there and that they wouldn't look for him immediately. 

“Link,” Remy’s voice dropped, causing all the air in the room to still. Even Zelda sat wide eyed as he took a breath before continuing. 

“I need to know. I know it’s hard to say, but if I’m going to help you I need to know. Are you safe at home?”

Link squeezed his fists so tight that his nails dug crescent shaped holes into his palms. He did the same thing with his lip that was trapped between his teeth. As a child, they’d painted the social workers that visited their house as villains and taught Link what to say to get rid of them. Once he’d gotten old enough to pick up on the fact that his home life was  _ not  _ actually normal, the couching had turned to threats.  _ You’ll never see your mother again. They will lock her away forever. Is that what you want?  _ He could feel his leg shaking violently as his fear and his anxiety ripped through his body like a freight train. 

“Link?”

He pried open his eyes and forced himself to look at the people before him. These were not old ladies with clipboards and an agency that looked at him with pity. These were the only people in his life that felt like what he imagined a real family would be. Zelda’s eyes were watery, her hands clenched at her chest as she watched him. Remy’s face was twisted in a sincere worry he’d never seen on another adult, especially not directed at him. To them, he wasn’t just a case number. He was a real person that they had grown to love. They had invited him into their home and into their lives and expected nothing from him in return except his company. Of all the times his father had threatened him with the idea that he would be stolen away from his home, he had never once considered it might actually benefit him. Now he was changing his mind. Summoning all the strength within himself, he willed his jaw to stop quivering as he slowly shook his head in reply. 

“Then that settles it. You’re staying here. Do you want me to go talk to your parents?”

“No!” Link blurted before covering his mouth. The thought of mixing his two worlds made him feel nauseous. He never wanted them in the same room. 

Remy twisted his mouth as he leaned back and rubbed his face again. 

“When do you turn 18?”

“Early summer”

“Shit”

Link shared a look with Zelda who scooted closer to wrap her arms around his waist, laying her head on his shoulder. It did wonders to soothe him. 

“I’m sorry-”

“No, no. It’s just that technically, if you’re here against their wishes and I know that, then they could say that I actually did abduct you. I won’t make you go now, but we do need to talk to them eventually. Or we need to talk to the police or, or, I don’t know...I don’t know how to do this”

Link went quiet as Zelda held onto him. Remy fell back against the couch, his large stature taking up two cushions as he spread out, his hand over his face as his mind raced in a million different directions. 

“I don’t want to cause any trouble. I can...I can just go home. I’ll be okay. They might not have noticed I’m not home yet. Sometimes they don’t notice…” Link’s voice trailed off as he watched Zelda’s father’s face fall even more that it already had.

“Can they see your location on your slate?” Remy asked as he leaned forward. 

“No, they don’t know I have one” 

“Then how…” his eyes slid over to Zelda who was hiding her red face in Link’s shoulder. He knew her too well not to connect the two. 

“So you can’t call them either”

“No, sir”

Remy sighed and stood to pace, needing a way to vent his pent up anxiety.

“And you’re sure they aren’t going to have the police look for you? If my Zelda went missing I’d have SWAT teams going through every building in this town until I found her”

Zelda smiled until she looked at Link. The sadness behind his eyes was so palpable she could almost reach out to grab it. Part of her wished she could. She would throw it so far that he would have forgotten its existence by the time it crawled back to him.

“I’m sure”

“That’s a damn shame. You’re a good kid. I’d be proud to be your dad. I’m sorry that’s what you got stuck with. I don’t know how I’m going to fix it or if I even can, but you stay here as long as you need to. You’re family now”

Link’s mouth opened and closed a few times in disbelief. He could feel Zelda smiling into his shoulder as she squeezed him. 

“Now. We need to like...have some rules I guess? How do you do this? You guys can’t just be doing all  _ that  _ all the time,” he motioned with his hands to the way Zelda was snuggled into his side and it made Zelda giggle again, “and you can’t sleep together. Oh Gods, I mean,  _ shit _ . I mean you can’t sleep in the same room as one another. As in, sleeping. Rest. _Fuck_ ,” he mumbled the last few words to himself as he leaned his forehead on the wall of their living room. 

Link felt his face burning and was incredibly grateful that the man’s back was turned, while Zelda was seeming to have the time of her life watching her father struggle with being authoritative. He’d always been the “best friend” parent, allowing her to get away with murder. He had been fortunate that she hadn’t taken advantage of his easy going nature even when she had every opportunity to. The worst thing she had done was take his car at midnight and go to the grocery store to get ingredients for a cake she saw online. He’d tried to scold her until she offered him a piece. He could never be angry with her for very long. She was a rascal, but she was a good kid too. She loved him too much to get into too much trouble.

“Link can sleep...are you okay to sleep on the couch? I sleep on it all the time, it’s probably more comfortable than Zelda’s bed. I don’t think you’d want to sleep there anyway. She probably has 35 pairs of socks shoved at the bottom and enough crumbs to fuel a small rat army”

“I do not! And I just forget to take them off before I get in bed!”

“Then just sleep with them on!” 

“Who does that?!”

Link couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his throat and soon all of them were laughing, relieved that the tension had finally dissipated. Remy sat down on the coffee table in front of them and Link flinched before squirming under his close proximity. He was a very large man and he felt very small in his presence, especially with his daughter tucked under his arm. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you, kid. It’s okay,” Remy reassured him before sighing and looking at Zelda. He had never seen her plead for something so passionately as when he’d first arrived home. Link had said very little, while Zelda had basically given him a whole presentation on why he should allow a teenage boy to move into his home despite common sense giving him every reason not to. He had watched Link more than Zelda for her entire spill. He’d sat patiently, squeezing his hands in his lap, trying to hold back a pained expression as Zelda made a case for him. He had looked so lost. He remembered the bruises on the boy’s back, how Zelda explained him falling asleep at school or missing multiple days a week without explanation. When he imagined another man laying hands on the boy, he couldn’t help but think of someone doing the same to Zelda and it made his blood run hot. Then when Link had been so adamant that they wouldn’t seek help to find him, he felt compelled to do something about it. One way or another, he’d make a space that boy was safe in. He just had to make sure his daughter was safe too. 

“So, here’s the deal. You sleep down here and you aren’t to be in Zelda’s room after um...9pm. You can ride to and from school with Zelda. On the days Zelda works, just come to the office with her. I’ll find something for you to do or you can just hang out and do your homework. Is that good?”

Link nodded, “Yes, sir”

Zelda did nothing to hide the unimpressed look on her face. She knew he was making up an arbitrary plan on the fly just to sound like he knew what he was doing. Link did not. Link was looking at him with complete focus. 

“You aren’t going to get sick of each other are you? That’s a lot of time together”

Link looked at Zelda and she could see the red creeping up from his chest back to his face. He was so out of his element and so flustered that he could barely put more than a few words together. 

“Um...you won’t, will you?” he mumbled, “I don’t have to-”

“Ugh! Let’s get this out of the way. You’re my best friend and when you’re not here, I wish you were here and now you get to be here all the time. How is that not a win for me?!”

Remy snorted. She had inherited all of his confidence and he feared that the world was not ready for her. But when he looked at Link he realized that she was just what he needed. The tension in his shoulders fell at her words and the corners of his mouth just barely picked up in a small shy smile. It reminded him so much of Zelda’s mother, who had been so timid around him before they had started dating that she would pretend she hadn’t seen him and briskly walk the other direction. He had had to literally chase her for months to get her to realize that he was interested in her, but when she finally saw his heart underneath his personality, they had become enraptured with each other, barely spending any time apart. The memory of her squeezed his heart like poking a bruise. 

“Well, you guys hungry?” he asked, breaking the two from whatever trance they’d fallen into as they sat and stared at each other. 

“I’m always hungry," Zelda grinned.

“Yes, sir”

“Link stop! His head is already too big!”

“Such a gentleman,” Remy teased as he picked up his slate, “Let’s get two pizzas tonight and my head is NOT big! Maybe you should learn some manners from him!” 

The sound of her laughter breathed life back into their home, just as it always had. Yet this time, there was another voice to accompany it. The harmony they made felt natural. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten to where I'm only one chapter ahead of myself, so I may jump to every few days updates, depending on if I feel like death after work or not. I wrote like 7 chapters of this one Saturday. Saturdays just are the best for writing. Major angst coming soon though, regardless. Just forewarning. 
> 
> Also, hope everyone enjoys Zelda's dad because I want him to be my dad.


	11. Chapter 11

For an entire week, Link woke up easy. It was perhaps a little awkward to learn how to shower and do all the other things one does at home at another person’s house. Particularly Zelda’s house. But it didn’t take him long to feel comfortable because it hadn’t taken Zelda or Remy long to get comfortably in front of him. It was as if he’d always lived here and everything that had come before was just a bad dream. Zelda had found that one major perk to having stolen Link away was his sudden need for new clothes. She had nearly died and then resurrected when her father sent them with a card to buy him anything he needed. Link had stuttered and blushed and tried to refuse, but neither one of them paid him any attention. It was hard when Zelda’s excitement was so loud that it had Remy almost shoving them out the front door. 

“Good luck, Link!” he laughed as Zelda wondered out loud how many stores she would drag him through.

Link had never owned new clothes before and quickly found a pair of black fleece lined joggers that soon became his favorite thing he’d ever owned. The new fabric against his skin was addicting. Zelda somehow managed to find a very similar pair in her own size and insisted it was a necessity to purchase as well. They ended up “accidentally” color coordinating each day at school, with Zelda denying having changed after seeing him each morning. He was so amused by her that he chose not to call her out on it. 

Link was so happy that he was worried his cheeks were bruised from all the smiling. He was no longer hungry, no longer in fear of his next step. He felt more alive in those days than he ever had before. But it was nighttime that still proved difficult for him. It was the long hours when the house had quieted down and it was just him alone on Zelda’s new couch, wrapped in a new plush blanket in his new pajamas that had him slipping back into the melancholy that seemed to always be a step behind him. Everything was new and foreign and so overwhelmingly different from what he’d known. He still found it difficult to sleep and ended up sitting wrapped in his blanket on the back porch for a good portion of the night, reminding himself that it was okay to let others care for him for once. He closed his eyes and listened to the nighttime insects call at each other from across the dark yard, imagining he was back in that small space of woods behind his house that he’d claimed as his own. It was far enough away to feel safe, but close enough to still come when called. The thought did nothing to assuage the creeping guilt building in his heart though. Every time he closed his eyes he pictured his mother calling out to him, wondering where he’d gone; if he was okay. He was deep in such a spiral that he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the sliding door opening. 

He turned in a panic to see Remy peering down at him as he wrapped his robe around his body. In his hand was a mug of warm tea that sent spirals of hot air up into the night sky. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry I just, I was just, I-” Link stammered as he shot to his feet, his heart tracing in his chest. His mind shot back to similar scenarios when he'd been dragged back into his house by an arm or his hair. 

“Woah, kid! Calm down! You’re fine. I was just checking on you. You’ve been out here a while. You okay?”

Link forced his heart to ease its rapid beating as he shoved deep breath after deep breath into his lungs. If there was any silver lining to the school system’s obsession with his well being, it was all the lessons on self calming he’d gotten over the years. He quickly realized the value in a deep breath and came to rely upon it heavily in moments where he felt out of control. His eyes widened as he felt a warm hand on his back and he could feel himself trembling as Remy encouraged him to sit back down on the steps of their deck. He settled himself beside him and Link could feel the heat radiating off the large man’s body as they sat side by side and watched as a cool breeze tickled the bare oak tree in front of them, sending the last few surviving leaves somersaulting to the ground. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Remy said, taking a sip of his tea. 

“I’m sorry” Link nearly whispered as he pulled his legs close to his body. The scene was oddly reminiscent of the last time he’d seen his mother and he felt himself slipping back into the panic it had caused. He buried his face in his knees and forced himself to breath again. He hated himself for falling into that place again. _I'm not home, he's not here,_ he repeated over and over in his mind until he finally convinced himself to believe it. Remy’s hand found its way back to his back and it stayed there as long as it took Link to find his bearings again. 

“Can’t sleep?” Remy asked when he could feel Link’s breathing even out. 

Link shook his head and shoved his hands between his thighs to feel the warmth. 

“Me either. Some nights I don’t sleep at all. I just lay there and my brain fires off a million thoughts per second. It’s maddening” 

Remy snuck a sidelong glance at the boy who looked so uncomfortable beside him. His face was flushed from either the cold or upset, he couldn’t tell. Link weakly nodded to acknowledge that he’d spoken but didn’t reply. 

“I was just thinking about this staffing issue. We consolidated two offices and now I’ve found myself with a surplus of employees and Impa says we should let them go, but I just can’t do that, you know? Those people have families and bills and they’ve built their lives around the income I provide for them. It’s not like they’ve done anything wrong. Damn Impa just insists on being overly effective and cutting costs. But I don’t really think you can put a cost to human value. What do you think?”

Link frowned as he puzzled it out. 

“Have those people ever worked together before?” he asked. 

“Not that I know of, they work on different floors. It’s two separate departments that we decided could be handled as one”

Link hummed and his forehead wrinkled as he thought about it. Remy watched him from the corner of his eye with a small grin. He seemed to have momentarily forgotten whatever had so upset him earlier in favor of working on a new problem. It was the same strategy he’d used on Zelda in the past. 

“Each department knows how to handle their side of whatever it is they are working on. When you put them together, they will have to figure out a whole new system to see what works when you combine. I would think that they would need everyone from each department to help build that new system. Then when it's complete, they will need a person from each side to lead the new department and make sure it works as they planned. Then you have some people who are now experienced in combining departments that could help in the future when you do it again. So really you can just give them a new job instead of letting them go. Or something…I don’t know...”

As Link talked, a smile grew across Remy’s face. He gave him a firm pat on the back and let out a breathy laugh. 

“That’s brilliant, Link. I may steal that idea from you. You’ve got a sharp mind, you know that?”

He shook his head before resting his chin on his knees. 

“Anything on your mind? Maybe I could help you out with something”

He watched as Link’s eyes lit up under the moon, highlighting the dark circles underneath. While he was nearly the same age as Zelda, he seemed much older, more hardened than Zelda ever had to be. It hurt Remy’s heart to imagine the things Link had had to endure in his short lifetime, especially since he seemed intent on bottling them up. He’d noticed that he seemed to have trouble sleeping and would often zone out when being spoken to. Zelda had made a habit of snapping to get his attention and when the fog finally cleared from his eyes, he would smile at her despite not remembering anything that she’d said. Remy was glad that they’d found each other, if only so she could keep him afloat. 

“You can tell me anything. I won’t tell Zelda. I won’t tell anyone. I promise. Or you don’t have to tell me anything. You get to decide that for yourself” 

Link felt his heart pulling in two different directions. All his life he’d been ignored or pushed to the side, forced to try and deal with his emotions the best he could with no guidance. He’d spent a good amount of time when he was younger coping by biting his hands or pulling his hair. He’d spent many nights alone in his room inside the hurricane that was his own mind, desperately wishing that anyone would come and talk to him to tell him what to do with himself. His father was so intent on caring for his mother that he failed to see the same mental strain in his own son. As a result, Link had grown detached and avoidant and moved almost entirely into his own mind for safety. It was a place where he had complete control. To open up to him now felt unnatural, but Remy’s presence was soothing and he took a chance. 

“I’m just...scared of going home”

Remy hummed and nodded into his tea mug. He knew that Link didn’t see his stay there as a vacation like Zelda did. He was grateful that she had no context for understanding the type of environment Link came from. She’d been treasured and valued her whole life. She had happily assumed that Link would remain with them forever and he would never look back, but both Link and Remy knew it was more complicated than that. 

“Whenever you decide to go, I can go with you. All you have to do is ask. But I meant what I said, there is no rush. Take some time”

Link made a noise of acknowledgement and blew warm air into his hands. 

“If you went home tonight. Knocked on the door right now. What would happen?”

Link closed his eyes and squeezed his fists. It took him a long time to answer, the nighttime crickets filling the space between them with white noise.

“It would be bad...for me,” he finally breathed into his fists before turning his face away. It had always ashamed him. The bruises. He didn’t have much of a chance to fight back when he was younger, but he was nearly as tall as his father now. But no matter how angry he became, that anger always gave way to despair and he would buckle under it, forcing him into a position that allowed it to happen again and again. It made him feel weak. Powerless. 

He could feel Remy gritting his teeth beside him.

“I’m choosing  _ not  _ to jump to anger. For your sake. But please know that no matter what you’ve come to believe, that is not the way a man treats his son. Or anyone for that matter. Zelda can be a handful, she always has been, but I’ve  _ never  _ laid my hands on her in that way. You deserve better”

“But sometimes I-”

“Link, look at me,” Remy’s voice cut off Link’s words before he could give them life. Link hesitantly lifted his eyes and Remy did not miss the way they had begun to water, despite his best efforts to hide it. 

“It’s not your fault” 

“But-”

“ _ Link,  _ come here,” failing for words he reached out and pulled him into a bear hug. Link resisted at first, but it didn’t take him long to lean into it. He’d known this man for a number of months and spent barely a full week in his home and already he felt more love for him than his own father. It made him want to vomit, it made him want to scream, but instead he let himself be crushed in Remy’s strong arms until Remy eventually pulled away.

“Boy, you’re shakin’ like a leaf. I don’t ever get cold, but you’re one degree away from a wizzrobe. Zelda will have my head if I let you get sick. Has she driven you crazy yet? I swear your name comes out of her mouth every other word”

Link let out a weak laugh, “No, I like her. She...she makes me happy” 

Remy smiled and pushed him to his feet, “Well I’m glad for that. I think she’s quite smitten with you too. Now go on inside and get back to bed now”

“Yes, sir. Um...thank you. For...” he lamely waved his hand around before shrugging sheepishly.

“You’re welcome, son” 

When Link made his way back to the couch and wrapped himself tightly in his blanket, hearing his words over and over in his mind. _Son. Son._ He knew he didn’t mean anything by it. It was just another pet name in his long list of names he seemed to refer to everyone by, but Link couldn’t help the jealousy that welled up in the back of his throat when he realized it would never be true for him.   
When Remy followed shortly after, he peeked into the living room, hoping to find him asleep, but sighing when he saw him tracing the patterns of the cushions with an idle finger. Neither of them would find much sleep that night. 

* * *

Zelda pushed Link into the glass elevator at Hyrule Inc. and rested her head on the side of his arm as he marveled at the entire scene before him. He’d been fairly isolated his entire life, only travelling from his house to school or the occasional grocery store. He had only been into the larger portion of their city once or twice when he was very young and so riding with Zelda to work had been like an entirely new experience for him. 

“My desk is on the 12th floor,” Zelda explained as they walked the busy halls, “I get to answer the phone and make copies and listen to Mrs. Alice complain about her husband. It’s spectacular. There's a seating area just in front of my desk you can hang out at. I’d let you sit with me but Impa is a-”

“Zelda!” the harsh voice of what Link guessed to be an older woman called out, “I need you to look at and edit these reports for me. Come along now, we haven’t all day”

“It’s like she can sense me,” Zelda grumbled into Link’s ear as she rolled her eyes and headed for Impa’s office, “See those couches? Just hang over there, I’ll see you soon!”

Link nodded and stood awkwardly in the middle of the open space as people rushed all around him. He felt like he was in the middle of a television show. He saw a man holding his slate to his ear with his shoulder as he explained something about “market economy”, a woman brushed past him with a box of what looked like only the glass coverings of a large number of slates, and a young man around his age rushed past while balancing a large number of disposable coffee cups in his arms. He almost forgot he was actually present in the same physical space with those people until one of them bumped into him and caused him to drop the books in his hands. The young, what he guessed to be assistant, mumbled a hurried apology before scurrying away. Link decided to get out of everyone’s way, sitting on the couches Zelda directed him to and before pulling out his notebook. 

He could see Zelda through the glass walls of Impa’s office. She had her hair pulled up in a messy bun, chewing on the end of a pen as she read over a stack of papers. Every so often she would take the pen out of her mouth and absently tap it on the table before scribbling something down. Soon she had the whole stack in her hands as she leaned her chair back to precariously balance on two legs, holding the papers directly above her as she read from below. He smiled at the image of her. Even in the presence of such well dressed and astute people, she remained true to herself. 

He got out his pencil and began to sketch her. Given his lack of toys growing up, he’d quickly found himself easily entertained by drawing. He’d spent hours of his youth in his bedroom coloring and drawing with whatever writing utensil he could find. Once he had been old enough to go to school, he’d save every broken crayon or pencil that fell to the floor and take them home with him so he could properly color his drawings at home. With a pen in hand, he could empty his mind and focus only on the lines, the shading, the shape of whatever he was drawing. He could become so immersed that he lost hours to the process. It had saved him on more than one occasion when he’d been forced into his room behind a locked door. 

“Let me see that,” a voice startled him out of his thoughts. He sucked in a sharp breath and spun around, seeing a rather squat woman eyeing over his shoulder from behind the couch. 

He looked down at his lap and covered his drawing with his hands. 

“I’m just waiting for Zelda,” he replied. 

“I didn’t ask what you were doing, I said, ‘let me see that’, now, let me see that”

Her tone was one that was not to be questioned and he hesitantly handed over his paper. He watched as she slid her glasses down her nose to scrutinize it. She might as well have been examining him for how anxious it made him feel. 

“Mr. Hyrule!” she suddenly exclaimed, “Get over here” 

He heard the unmistakable voice of Zelda’s father pardoning himself from another conversation as he made his way to the sitting area where Link nervously waved at him as he approached. Remy grinned and tipped his head in response before raising a brow at the woman. 

“Why are you bothering this young man, Impa. I have given you Zelda to pester. Is she not enough for you?” he said, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Look at this. Tell me you don't see potential here,” she said, shoving the paper in his hands. 

Remy looked it over before a smile slowly grew across his face. 

“Link, this is amazing. You drew this?”

“Yes, sir”

“Look at the details. And you even captured her tongue sticking out. She must have been concentrating,” he winked at Link.

Link could feel his discomfort crawling across his skin like an insect. He always felt self-conscious when he received too much attention. He was so used to being asked not to speak or make himself known in any way that doing so felt wrong or uncomfortable. He’d rather just blend into the background than be noticed at all. 

“You know this boy?”  
  
“Oh, Link? Yes, he’s staying with me”

“Remigius Hyrule! You have a young man staying in your home with your teenage daughter? Have you lost your mind?” Impa scolded as her finger flew around in front of Remy’s unimpressed face. 

“Oh, I have. If you find it, do let me know. In the meantime, I think I may have a special project for my houseguest here. Come with me, Link,” he said as he motioned for Zelda to join them. Zelda nearly flew out of the office she'd been working in, having watched the entire scene unfold from her seat. 

“ _ What’d you do?”  _ Zelda whispered as she thread her fingers through Link’s. 

He made a face at her and shrugged as Remy shut the door to another office behind them. 

“Where’d you learn how to do that, kid?” he asked as he made himself comfortable in a large red velvet swivel chair, resting his folded hands on his chest. 

“I don’t know”

“Do what?” Zelda chimed in. 

Remy slid Link’s paper over and it didn't take long for her to turn and beam at him with it clenched in her hands. 

“Link! You’re amazing! Look! It's me! Oh Gods, is that what I look like to other people?"

“It’s just a doodle”

“Whatever. This is not a  _ doodle.  _ I didn’t even know you knew how to draw!”

He let his eyes shift between the two of them before sighing and accepting her compliment since he knew he had very little choice not to. She’d been on top of him constantly about his negative self talk and he had to admit that once she pointed it out, he realized how often he really did it. 

“Art was the only class I was ever really good at. So...I tried hard, I guess” 

“You’re good at plenty of things, but you’re great at this”

“I have to agree,” Remy added as he pulled some papers out from a file he’d been digging around in, “We’ve been trying to come up with a better logo because well...this old one is a little boring. Do you think you could help out?”

Link looked at the printouts of various logos on the table. Most of them were a plain font that spelled out “Hyrule Inc.” arching over a little clipart of Hyrule Castle. He had to agree it was a little lackluster and the thought of being able to provide something for the man who’d allowed him a second home was more than appealing. 

“Um, sure” 

“That’s my boy!” Remy laughed as he handed Link the papers, “Now you two run on home, I’ll be there in a bit. Grab something to eat on the way there”

In Zelda’s car, Link laid his head against the window and felt himself smiling as he watched the city lights blur and blend into a moving painting as Zelda flew by on the highway back to their little neighborhood.  _ Back home,  _ he thought before he felt his heart leap into his throat. It was the longest he’d gone without seeing his family. He’d never spent time away from them except for going to school. They’d dominated his every minute, every hour. For him, there had been no trips to grandparents houses or sleepovers or family vacations. There had only been his father controlling his every move, his mother who would hold him and rock him one minute and scream at him to give her space the next, and his little bedroom that he'd had to use his imagination to become the whole world. But despite it all, they were still his family. They were all he had. Guilt coated his insides like sour milk and he found himself licking his lips to keep it from spilling from his mouth. 

“You okay?” Zelda asked as she pulled into a stop light. 

“Mhm”

She narrowed her eyes as the light changed and they lurched forward. 

“Hey Zelda?”

“Hey Link”

“What were you going to say about Impa before she yelled at you?” he asked, trying to bring himself back to the present, back to Zelda. As long as he had her, he was anchored. She kept him from orbiting back into the darkness she’d pulled him from. She was the first kiss of sunlight on a foggy morning, promising a break from a long cold night. She was everything that he was not, but more than anything, she was  _ his.  _

“Oh,” she laughed, “I was going to say she’s a bitch” 

Slowly, the both of them began to laugh, a slow crescendo that had them wiping their eyes with the backs of their hands as she pulled into a grocery store parking lot. 

“Hey Zelda”

“Hey Link”

He turned in his seat once she’d turned off her car, resting his cheek on his seat with a lazy smile across his face. He didn’t know how he’d found her or why, but he promised himself right then and there that he would do everything to keep her, even if that meant he had to battle his own demons. He tapped into what little confidence she’d instilled in him and leaned forward to kiss her. He could feel her smiling against his mouth and it made everything he’d ever endured worth it. 

“I love you,” he said. 

“I love you too” 

And he knew she meant it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-confidence is a big issue for kids from broken homes. It's really hard to take pride in yourself when all you've ever been told or made to believe is that you're worthless. Kids really are like little sponges, especially when they're really young. 
> 
> When I worked in preschool, I used to cringe when a parent would say, "Good luck with this one today, they've been awful" or something similar. Kids will believe what you speak into them. It does make a difference. That's not to say your kid isn't an asshole sometimes and that they don't make horrible choices from time to time, but always give them a chance to turn it around or see that it doesn't affect their worth, it's just a chance to learn. Don't let it flavor the whole day or especially their whole life. 
> 
> So off my soapbox, I hope you enjoyed this weird half and half chapter. I don't know where the scene from the office came from, I just started writing and it happened. It's like a little calm before the storm.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're having a bad day, maybe save this one for later.

The Thursday before the winter dance, Zelda woke up uncharacteristically before Link. Usually she wandered down stairs to find him already dressed and sipping on a drink as he shuffled through his things in his backpack. But that morning, he was deep asleep with his face still pressed into the gap between cushions. When she shook him awake, he groaned and rolled over with the indention of the couch seams pressed into his face. 

“Are you alive?” she asked as she watched him struggle to wake up. 

“I guess I fell asleep”

“Isn’t that what you usually do?” 

He scrubbed his face with his hands and then peaked through the gaps in his fingers to grin at her. 

“You curled your hair”

She blushed and bit at her bottom lip bashfully. She’d been up before the sun, her excitement for the dance holding her hostage from sleep. She’d been to every dance the school had to offer, but never with someone she actually cared about. 

“I was practicing. You know, for the dance,” she mumbled. 

“I thought you said we didn’t have to be fancy”

“Well it is the winter formal, but no one shows up formal. I just wanted to be a little more fancy than usual”

“You’re beautiful”

She jumped forward so that they both ended up wrapped in each other on the couch as she peppered his cheeks with kisses. They continued to find every excuse to touch each other as the day went on, whether it was holding hands, bumping hips, or brushing arms in class. They were pressed up against each other’s sides when the intercom in the tech lab rang and Dr. Purah answered. 

“Can you send Link Faron to the office? He’s checking out early,” the office lady rasped through the speaker system. 

Zelda turned to Link who froze, his eyes stuck on the cinderblock wall decorated with old Sheikah schematics for the ancient divine beasts. He studied the curve of the Zora’s beast as it curved and arched over its back. He wondered if someone fell off the top if they would survive the fall or if their body would shatter into a thousand pieces. 

“Link? What’s happening? Did my dad tell you we were going somewhere?”

He zoned into the sound of his breathing as it wheezed through his closing throat. He knew it would end. That it wouldn’t last forever. It would never be that easy. It was always there, lurking behind every corner, every shadow on the wall an invitation back into the darkness. He’d spent too much time away, grown too comfortable. The universe was back to tip his balance back into madness where it belonged. 

“Link! Talk to me!” 

He turned and looked at her and briefly wondered if she had read his thoughts as all the color drained from her face. 

“No. Just don’t go. We’ll leave. We can go out the back doors,” she pleaded, reaching out to grab his hand. He didn’t react to her touch, feeling himself shut down already in preparation. 

“What if it’s my mom?”

She opened her mouth but the words refused to leave, her tongue trying in vain to form any word that would be more powerful than whatever hold his mother somehow managed to have on him. 

“Please,” she tried. 

He slowly packed his things and stood to leave but she wouldn’t let go of his arm. 

“I’m going with you”

“No!” he shouted, causing everyone in the room to turn and stare. He waited a moment before their attention was directed elsewhere and then leaned down so that only Zelda could hear. 

“I’ll be fine. No matter what happens, I’ll call you or message you. Or something. But I have to go. She could be trying to find me. Maybe...maybe she’s leaving him too”

The hope in his voice corroded her heart like an acid as she knew the place it came from was the desperation he still held onto that there was a part of her that still loved him. Who was she to tell him he was wrong? 

“At least let me come with you to the office”

He sighed heavily and dropped his head before mumbling, “okay”

When they turned the corner to the office, Zelda could feel Link’s body almost recoil from the sight of the man standing beside Mr. Agus with a hard expression on his face and his arms crossed across his chest. There was no mistaking who he was. Link favored him in many ways, except for his eyes. This man’s eyes were murky and dim while Link’s shined bright and blue like the sky on the first day of spring. Link squeezed her hand before letting go and grabbing his backpack straps, approaching the two men slowly. 

“Link, your father has explained to me that you haven’t been going home. He’s very worried about you. Where have you been staying?” Mr. Agus asked as he leaned on the doorway to the office.

“With a friend,” Link replied, keeping his eyes on the ground. 

He bit back a scowl as his father’s voice crawled across the cold tiles and wormed their way into his skin. 

“It’s that girl, isn’t it? That her?”

Link lifted his eyes to see his father glaring at Zelda behind him. Something inside of him trembled and he clenched his fists harder on his backpack as he grit his teeth. His father and Zelda were the antithesis of one another. If Zelda was the light, his father was the absence of it. They didn’t belong in the same space. He was sure if he said her name, he could no longer hold back the anger burning at the back of his eyes. 

“Ms. Hyrule, you need to return to class. This is a private matter,” Mr. Agus said as he noticed Zelda standing behind Link.

“We don’t have time for this, your mother has worried herself sick over you. You have to come home _now”_

If Mr. Agus sensed the bite in the man’s words, he didn’t offer any indication. Perhaps as a man in his position he’d encountered people like Cyril before and simply learned to school his expressions. Or perhaps, he realized that his position was exactly what kept him from intervening. He had no authority to tell the man he couldn’t take his own son home. 

“Link, we’ll see bright and early tomorrow. Right, Mr. Faron?” he asked instead, not missing the way Link’s hand had begun to shake.

“In the truck,” Cyril responded as he grabbed the handle of Link’s backpack and spun him around. 

Zelda backed out of the way as the tears started streaming down her face. 

“Link! Don’t go!”  
  
He simply turned as he walked down the hallway and mouthed, _“I’m sorry”_ before his father grabbed his bag again and turned him back around. 

Once they left through the glass doors, Zelda fell apart. She turned to where Mr. Agus stood in the doorway and unleashed everything she’d been holding back. 

“You _idiot!”_ she screamed, “What have you done?!”  
  
“Ms. Hyrule, you need to calm down-”

“NO!”  
  
Mr. Agus wrapped her in his arms as she slid to the floor, motioning inside the office for someone to call her father as she wept into his arms. 

“Has he been staying with you?” 

She nodded into him as she wept. 

“I’ve already called, Zelda. But I can’t guarantee they’ll do anything. Please know that I had no power to tell him no. This was the 3rd time he’d come to the office. I couldn’t put it off again. That’s his father, I have no right to deny him”

“I need to call my Dad,” she cried, hiccupping between words, “I need to call my Dad” 

* * *

They said nothing in the truck. Link sat with his back turned to his father who turned the radio all the way down, insisting their hatred simmer and smolder in the silence. Link bunched up the fabric of his pants with his fist and bit his cheeks so hard he could taste the blood in his mouth. He felt like he was falling off the edge of the earth. He wondered if the ground would open up before them and they would fall, the truck colliding with the broken edges of the road as it swallowed them whole. But then he thought of Zelda. She would be heartbroken. How long would she cry for him? _She’d cry for me,_ the thought lodged itself between the panic and the dread that were fighting to encompass his entire body. _I can’t leave her._

When they arrived at their house, his father exited the vehicle and Link followed him up the steps. As soon as the door was closed, Link’s face met the wall of the kitchen thanks to his father’s hand shoving the back of his head with enough force to send him through the drywall. He gasped as the breath was knocked from his lungs and held what little air was left as the pain began the slowly fire across his nerves. 

“Where the _fuck_ have you been?!”

Link turned with venom in his veins and spat the blood pooling from his lip on the ground, the pain soon forgotten as a new emotion filled him to the brim.

“You think you can run off with some little bitch and life will be better for you? How many lies did you have to tell to convince her you were worth breathing her air?” 

Link said nothing, but he didn’t have to. This time, he refused to back down. He stood with his fists at his sides as his warm blood carved down his neck and his father seethed at his silence. He refused to give him anything more than that. Not anymore. He wasn’t some useless bag of air walking around on borrowed time. He was _somebody._ He had value, a life worth living. He’d been shown the promise of life outside the walls that he'd once seen as his entire world. Now they felt more like a coffin, closing in on him with each passing second. 

“Your mother has done nothing but mope and moan and lay in the _fucking_ bed for _days_ while you were off doing fuck knows what with fuck knows who. Who the hell do you think you are?”

Then it happened. Years of doing nothing, all the latent anger, the desperation, the longing and the fear erupted into a fury that bubbled up from the places inside Link he’d pushed so far into the corners of his mind that they became a permanent fixture there, but no longer. He finally let them free and the energy that surged through him in that moment was enough to topple the entire kingdom as long as it began with the man standing before him. He lunged forward and shoved his father with equal force into the wall, knocking several photos onto the floor, the glass shattering like Link’s insides at their feet. 

“I’m your _son!”_ he spit as he pinned his father to the wall with his arm, “But you aren’t my father _._ You’re just an asshole that brainwashed my mom and I _hate_ you for it,” he went on, emphasizing each word with another thrust into the wall. 

Cyril was momentarily motionless as he processed his shock at what was happening. Link had never fought back. He’d only ever fallen to the ground and waited for him to leave before picking himself back up. He was no longer the little boy who would hide inside a cardboard box in his closet, convincing himself that no one could find him there. He wasn’t the middle schooler that nursed his fractured bones behind closed doors as he practiced the lies he’d tell to cover them up. He wasn’t the teenage boy that would bury himself in his thoughts and pretend it was what he deserved. This Link was one he did not recognize. He moved with precision and talked with confidence and it made Cyril want to crush him into the ground. Link didn’t give him a chance to reply as he continued. 

“I pray every day that someone swerves and sends you head first into a ditch on the way to work. You think you take such good care of mom, but she’s just so drugged up from everything you give her that she doesn’t even know up from down. But that’s the only way you can get anyone to love you because you’re a _monster_ and I won’t ever let you touch her again” 

Someone dangerous grew in his father’s eyes but Link refused to back down once again. They collided in a sea of fists and teeth and skin and Link could tell his father wasn’t just hitting to hurt his feelings. He was hitting to cause damage. Link returned his fury with just as much vigor and slammed his father into the kitchen wall, the cabinet behind them flying open, sending a shower of dishes to be demolished once they made contact with the hard tile floor. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear his mother screaming, but it was faded and far away. All he could do in that moment was _fight_ and he did so with everything he had until his back hit the edge of the counter and he let out a growl that almost didn’t sound human.

For the briefest of moments, they met eyes and Link felt himself go cold. He’d known his father to be a hard man, but the deadness in his eyes in that moment paled in comparison to any look he’d ever given him before. He was no longer his father, he was a vessel of pure _hatred_ and malice and the air around him felt charged with the ugliness of it. It was so distressing, that he almost didn't feel the first time the kitchen knife carved through his abdomen, slipping between the sensitive skin covering his ribs. It wasn’t until the second thrust that he let out a pained gasp and all the fight left his body as his hands flew instinctively to his stomach, instantly warming from the flow of blood beginning to drench his shirt. The sharpness of the pain took every ounce of air from his body and he felt his lungs burning as they struggled to function under the weight of it. 

He staggered out a breath, choking on the tightness closing in on his throat, as his father stumbled backwards, looking down at the knife in his hand before dropping it on the floor. Link watched as it skittered and slid across the hard surface, splattering its signature on the tile with his blood. The dullness had left Cyril’s eyes and in its place was something Link had never seen. _Fear._ He watched as his son’s blood stained the edges of his hands as if to mark him permanently; to tell the world what he’d done.

“...Dad?” Link managed to croak as he watched his blood drip to the floor, making little blossoms of crimson to contrast against the shiny white. He could feel himself start to decline as the blood started its descent down his legs which started to go weak as his knees buckled and he fell to the floor. He lay and tried to force air into his chest which felt so full of liquid he was worried he may drown in it. He let out a few strangled coughs and tasted the iron on his lips. 

“Cyril!” his mother’s voice screamed, “Oh Gods! Link! What’s happening?”

“Mara, I need you to go to the truck,” he heard his father say in a chillingly calm voice as he stood rooted to the ground, watching Link struggle for air. 

“What is happening?” she cried before he spun to her and grabbed her by the upper arms. 

“Your son tried to kill me. We have to go. Get in the truck”

“Link? My Link? Cyril I don’t understand! We need to help him!”

“ _Now_ ” 

She whimpered underneath the boom of his voice, allowing him to shove her out the door. He rummaged through a few rooms, haphazardly shoving papers and objects into his pockets and his arms before stopping for the last time in the threshold of the kitchen. 

Link’s face was burning from the hotness of the tears that wormed their way from his eyes and made his vision blur. He gasped as he maneuvered around to see the bleary shape of his father standing and watching him. Link gargled out a broken cry as a part of him died, the part that still held out any hope that he meant anything to his father. The man who had given him life. He’d been like any other child once, idolizing his every action, forgiving him for anything that didn’t help build the narrative that he was like everyone else’s dad. But this had shown him the truth. He was truly disposable. 

“Please…” he managed to lift his hand to reach out, “Please help me” 

But he only turned his back for the last time without another word. Link heard the door slam closed and then all went quiet, except for the whistling sound that seemed to be coming from his chest with each breath he had to fight for. He felt very cold, almost wishing the blood would stay warm for longer after leaving his body so that he could lie there and feel it’s warmth instead of the biting shiver that rolled through him now. 

He knew he was dying. It was something he’d thought about a lot as he’d grown older. He thought of death like a long nap, or the haze of sleep that came with taking one of his mother’s pills. Maybe he’d wake up somewhere else, as someone else. The thought always intrigued him. Would he be a prince in some other land? Maybe he’d be like Mr. Agus’ daughters and simply have a normal family next time. Or maybe there would just be nothing and he would cease to exist all together. He couldn’t say it was a terrifying thought. 

But as he laid there, with his cheek pressed against the tile that fogged as his pained breathing ghosted across the cold floor, he realized that he didn’t want to be anyone else. Because Zelda didn’t love anyone else. She loved _him._ Zelda. Where was she now? Was she at home, sipping coffee with Remy on their couch? Was she at work? Was Impa making her read over more papers? Was she biting the tip of her tongue as she scanned the long lines of words? 

He managed to lift his arm, which suddenly felt like a monumental task, to search his pocket for his slate. He’d stashed it there on the ride home, hoping his father hadn’t noticed the shape of it in his pocket. He pulled it out slowly and had to try several times before his bloody hands would register on the cracked screen. After what felt like hours but could have only been a minute, he managed to open up the messages, remembering a feature Zelda had shown him a few nights before. 

_“Can people really see your location on your slate?” he’d asked, curious what Remy had meant when he’d asked him if his parents would be able to track him._

_“Only if you enable it. Here, let me show you,” she’d said, taking his slate and navigating the screens, clicking and sliding until it dinged._

_“Here, now you can send me a little pin on a map wherever you are and I’ll be able to get directions”_

_“Why is that a feature?” he’d asked, looking at the screen intently as it showed his pin on her house._

_“I guess so like, if you want to visit a friend’s house or you’re meeting someone for dinner you can just send them a pin instead of having to type your address. Dad’s big into things just being one click”_

_“Oh, okay. Is mine on now?”_

_“Yep! Now if you go on another morning jog and you get lost, I’ll come and rescue you,” she’d grinned, her eyes mirthful._

_“You promise?”_

_“Promise,” she’d sealed with a small kiss to his cheek._

He hit the button, listening as the little ping dinged, signifying it’d sent his location to her. She responded immediately, but he couldn’t read it. His vision went in and out of focus as the words danced around the screen. He weakly tapped the button again and again and again until he was so weak it slipped from his grip and he could no longer reach it. He could hear it buzzing and sliding across the floor as Zelda repeatedly responded to him, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He felt a current of pain rip through his failing body as he sucked in a harsh cry, using the last bit of his energy to send a prayer that his mother hadn’t endured the same fate he had. 

He closed his eyes and dreamt of home, _Zelda’s home,_ until his vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOODBYE I'M LEAVING 
> 
> I'm going to be scared to open my email all night. I DID WARN YOU.


	13. Chapter 13

Remy held his head in his hands and tried to scrub the images from his eyes as he sat in the stuffy hospital waiting room. The demolished kitchen, the dinnerware speckled with flecks of blood. The knife on the floor. He hadn’t stopped to knock before he busted the door down, the sound he made dying at his feet as he stepped in the vacuum that was Link’s empty house. The contradiction of the silence and the evidence of the turmoil that had taken place there made his head spin as he tried to make sense of the scene before him.

It hadn’t been completely empty. Lying in the middle of the chaos, and the shattered pieces of the family that had once lived there, was the only member that remained. Link lay on his back with his head lolled to the side, his slate still buzzing just out of reach of his outstretched hand. His normally sandy hair was tinted dark as it stuck in the drying blood that haloed around his upper body. 

He’d been so pale. Remy had fallen to his knees and rushed to press down on the darkest pools of blood on the boy’s chest in a feigned attempt to stop the damage that was already done. His heart fell when Link didn’t react to the pain other than a raspy cough that sprayed blood and coated both of them in a thin mist of warm crimson.

He had never opened his eyes. He wondered if Link even knew it was him. He could tell from the state of his face that he'd cried until he lost consciousness, the hot tears wiping clear streaks down his bloodied skin. How long had he laid there alone? Why hadn’t he called the police himself? It would have been so much quicker than the frantic scurrying that occurred after Zelda opened her slate to his messages.

If he’d gotten there sooner maybe Link would have still been conscious. Maybe he would have seen that he came for him. Maybe he would have known that Remy would have taken the holes in his chest for him if given the chance. Maybe he could have stopped it all together and stolen a still alive Link back to their home where Zelda would have shoved a mug of tea in his hands and made him whole again. He felt himself crying again and quickly wiped the evidence away. That was the last thing Zelda needed to see. 

He’d raised his voice at her for the first time since she was a small child when she had insisted on riding with him to the location Link had sent. He had left her weeping on their staircase as he flew out the door with hurried promises that he’d update her as soon as he could. In the haze of all that occurred after he found Link unconscious on that kitchen floor, he’d finally found time to message her and she had met him at the hospital, her face already swollen, her eyes bloodshot. He had practically carried her into the waiting room where she’d ceased to make any noise in the hours they sat there waiting on any word if Link had survived. She simply clung to him, her body trembling through her silent tears. 

Behind his eyes he could still see the luminescence of the police vehicle's lights as they cast the trees around the small house into blue and red shadows. He could still see Link's limp hand as it dangled off the edge of the stretcher before being tucked back in by one of the dozen men and women that had swarmed him as soon as they entered the house. They were pushing and poking and prodding on him, covering his face to breath for him, sticking needles in his arms and he lay there lifeless through it all. Remy could barely hold a thought in his mind beyond that image as he explained the little he knew to the officers that ran in and out of the house. 

A lone doctor walked slowly into the waiting room and eyed the two of them huddled together. He sighed heavily and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. 

“Are you...his father? Or family of any kind?" he asked as he scanned the room. 

Remy stood, gently unwrapping Zelda from his arm as he wiped his hands on his pants. No matter how many times he’d washed his hands, he could still feel the cold, tacky blood coating his palms. 

“No, he's hopefully smeared across the highway somewhere. But _I’m_ here. We may not be blood, but we're what he's got,” his voice gave little room for questioning.

The doctor nodded as his mouth fell in a flat line. His eyes briefly shifted to Zelda who rose to stand beside her father. She looked haggard and worn, her eyes burning and her cheeks smeared with the upset that had been spilling now for hours. Her eyes were dull and heavy and she held onto him like a lifeline. 

“We just finished in the operating room. He’s holding on for now. But I do want to be honest. We did lose him once on the operating table but we were able to resuscitate. One of the stab wounds perforated his left lung. We’ve placed a tube in his chest to help drain the extra fluid and air that have built up. He lost a significant amount of blood. If we’d gotten him any later we would be having a different conversation. In fact, I’ve not seen many with similar injuries survive that long without medical assistance. He’s a very lucky boy” 

Remy closed his eyes and felt the world spin. He knew it was bad the moment he laid eyes upon him. He half expected to walk upon a corpse until he saw the shallow up and down of his chest. Zelda’s eyes were locked on the doctor’s face, fresh tears falling effortlessly down the worn lines of those that had fallen before them. 

“May I ask...are you Zelda?”

Zelda’s face fell into a look of confusion as she stared at him. Remy looked down at her and put a hand on her back, encouraging her to answer. He’d never known her to be quiet. It was so perverse to her nature that it had him worried if he hadn’t lost her too. 

Zelda simply nodded her head and the doctor gave her a small, sympathetic smile. 

“I was told he regained consciousness briefly in the ambulance. He was very weak, but he did manage to say your name a few times. There must be something he still wants to tell you, Ms. Zelda. He's holding on for something at least,” he was gentle with her, hoping to give her something to hold onto even if it was faint. 

Her lip quivered as she turned her face back into Remy. He pulled her into him, wrapping her entire body up with his arms as he blinked away his own sadness. He couldn't stand to see her in pain. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands under her arms just to hear her giggle like she did as a small girl. He wanted to see the light dancing in her eyes again. But this was a problem he couldn't fix for her. He couldn't distract her with silliness or adventure like he'd done when her mother had died. He felt powerless to her suffering and it caused his own to multiply ten fold. 

“Can we see him?”

“He’s still in recovery right now but as soon as we get him in a room I’ll let you know”

“Thank you” 

The doctor gave them a small nod before walking back down the long hallway. 

As soon as they were alone, Zelda lost control of her legs. _We lost him. Resuscitate. He said your name._ He’d died. He died in that hospital and someone else was there to restart his heart. He had called out to her and she wasn’t there. He had laid in his house all alone, dying, as she sat in her bedroom and unpacked her things from school. She could still see his face in the hallway. The shame in his eyes. He’d been trying to hide his fear, the mortification at being dragged out of school like a stray animal. But she knew his heart now like she knew her own. She didn’t understand it, but it was as if he were a part of her. Once, she could feel his heart racing in her own chest, but now she felt nothing. _I left him. I let this happen to him._

Remy held her close as she finally stopped trying to hold back her sorrow. He said nothing, simply holding her and rocking her like he’d done when she was a baby. He could still see the mischievous glint in her little eyes. The way her hair curled after a bath. He could hear her easy flight of giggles and her mother scolding him for always causing them at inappropriate times. She had been so loved her entire life. Had Link ever known love? How could a man look at their child and not want to set the spin of the world to a rhythm that would please them? How could a man ever do to their child what Link’s father had done to him? Every part of him wanted to rip through every street in that city until he found the man so he could beat him lifeless. He left his son to die alone. He hadn’t even had the dignity to stay and face the consequences of what he’d done. It made Remy want to scream, but he didn’t. He stayed strong for Zelda, holding her for another long hour before an older nurse finally approached them. 

“You can see him now,” she said as she stood before them, “ You’re going to see a lot of wire and tubing and hear a lot of beeping and he’s looking a little rough around the edges but it’s still him under there. He’s not awake, but it wouldn’t hurt if you talked to him. That baby’s gonna need a lot of love when he wakes up. You okay, honey?”

The nurse put a hand on Zelda’s back who quivered under her touch. Remy shared a pleading look with the woman and she took his cue and sighed as she planted her hands on her hips, biting on the corner of her mouth in concentration she looked her over. She was a shorter woman, with graying hair pulled up in a messy bun on the apex of her head. Everything in her body language spoke of a maternal nature that soon had her fussing over Zelda, from checking her temperature with the back of her hand to smoothing down her frazzled hair. Zelda stood still as stone and let her do it. 

“This baby’s gonna need a lot of love right now. I can’t have you passing out in my waiting room. When was the last time you had anything to eat or drink?”

Zelda cleared her throat and wiped her eyes before answering. 

“At school," she answered weakly.

The nurse clicked her tongue before shaking her head in disapproval.

“Now, I want you to head on down that hall and get yourself a candy bar and something to drink before you go see him. He’s gonna need you when he wakes up. He probably won’t know his left from right when he opens his eyes and the first thing I want him to see is your pretty face smiling back at him. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon and I promise I’ll take care of him for you but you have to take care of yourself first. You understand?”

Zelda nodded and Remy mouthed a “thank you” before ushering her down the hallway.

* * *

She hated the way the hospital smelled, like they’d scrubbed all the life from it. It clung to her skin, coating the inside of her nose so heavily she could almost taste it. It reminded her of her childhood and the long days they’d spent by her mother’s hospital bed, with empty promises of going home soon that turned into uncomfortable conversations preparing her for the reality that one day she would leave and never see her again. She didn’t have the luxury of innocence this time. She listened to the cadence of her own footsteps as they echoed around the corner of the brightly lit hall, stopping before she slowly cracked open the numbered door. She held her breath until she saw him. 

She thought he looked like he was part of the machinery as he laid on the white sheets with various tubes and wires nestled around him like a bird's nest. His face was swollen on one side with a deep contusion running along his cheek bone, framing his busted bottom lip. She could see the bandages from his surgery wrapped tightly around his abdomen and chest, with a tube connecting him to a machine off to the side hanging out the bottom. She thought it was cruel that they’d had to cut him again after he already endured so much. How many people would spill his blood without his permission? Did they even care? Did they know that he didn’t like tight clothing or that his hands were probably cold? His hands were always cold. She was always shoving them into her own sleeves, shivering as his skin kissed hers. They didn’t even cover his hands. 

She ran to him and scooped one of them up into her own, her heart breaking at the lack of resistance. Everything in her was hoping that he’d open his eyes and grin at her or crack a joke about being nearly naked under his gown and his sheets. She kissed his cold fingers and squeezed, willing all her warmth to flood him as she forced herself to breath in and out. She closed her eyes and listened to the cadence of his heart monitor, imagining it was her ear on his chest, that they were back in her hammock, giggling about something stupid they’d said as they snuggled together under a thick blanket. She smiled at the thought. He always fell asleep in the hammock, no matter what time of day it was. She didn’t know if it was the rocking or simply the closeness of their bodies, but he’d eventually stop responding to her and she’d hear his deep, even breathing in her ear. He would even snore if they stayed there long enough. She smiled at the memory, feeling her lip tremble from the effort. 

“Do you think he can feel me?” she whispered, knowing her father was standing right behind her. He briefly walked away before returning with a chair, gently encouraging her to sit. She kept a close hold on his hand as she did, sighing and laying laying her head down on her arm that rested upon the side bar of his bed.

“You’ll have to ask him when he wakes up”

She let her eyes fall closed again, feeling the tension their separation had caused start to drain through her body. Her father had driven up to the school shortly after Link had pulled out of the parking lot, having sped his way all the from work after hanging up on the office lady that had called him. He spared very little attention to Mr. Agus as he rushed Zelda outside to his car. She’d spent all the time afterwards hyperventilating and pacing up and down their stairs at home with her slate in her hands, praying he would message her. He’d said he would. And he did. He never broke his promises to her. She just never imagined what it would lead to. She could feel the aftereffect of her extended panic pulling at the back of her eyes. She was so tired. 

“Is he going to die?” she said so softly it was almost missed over the humming of the machines. 

“The doctors are taking good care of him,” he responded almost instinctively. 

“You said that about mom too”

He put a hand on her shoulder and sighed. He hated hospitals almost as much as Zelda, but for an entirely different reason. He couldn’t not see his wife lying there on the bed with her pale skin and her crooked smile. The ambiance of the medical machinery brought him back to a place he’d filed away many years ago after reminding himself he couldn’t let it take him too. He had promised to take care of Zelda. To not let her death steal away their daughter's happiness and youth. Yet here they were again, with yet another person who held a part of her heart teetering between the living and the dead. He couldn’t let the world take this from her too, not when she'd found it all on her own. He knew. He could tell from the way her entire body lit up when he entered the room that she loved him. To think of Zelda losing him the way he had lost his wife was almost too heavy of a thought to burden. 

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” he answered honestly, “I just don’t know”

She released a long exhale and felt as her arm started to tingle from where her head had it pinned between her cheek and the metal bar on the side of his bed. She ignored the pain, telling herself that keeping him warm was more important than her trivial discomfort. Remy watched as her thumb eventually slowed its mindless back and forth on the top of Link’s hand until she stilled all together. He draped his jacket over her shoulders and stepped out into the hall, letting himself fully feel for the first time. He never imagined that the cautious boy he’d seen on Zelda’s arm for the first time all those months ago would quickly become such an important part of their little family. He cursed the man that couldn't see the goodness inside that boy and sent a prayer he would be found quickly so he could tell him himself, whether with words or his fists, he hadn't decided. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some research on treatment for stab wounds, but if you're in the medical field and feel like I've done a terrible job I'm so sorry. Also, we love a precious older nurse. She's gonna take care of these poor babies for you, don't worry!
> 
> I know I keep saying I won't update daily but it keeps happening. I don't know.


	14. Chapter 14

_ “Mommy, I’m hungry,” he tried again for the third time that day. His belly was so empty that it growled at him, angry that he hadn’t given it anything since the day before. His father had left for work so long ago and the sun was already so high in the sky, making his little shadow squatty as he had spun around on the front porch in just his shorts earlier that morning. He hadn’t figured out how to get his shirt on quite right by himself. The arm holes were all crooked and the tag was pokey and he decided he didn’t need it anyway so he had thrown it on the floor.  _

_ His mother uncovered her head and squinted at him. She’d gone to bed again. She was so, so tired just all the time. He was sad that she was still so tired even though she was stuck in her bed all day. He didn’t like being in his bed and he didn’t like to sleep. It ran away from him and left him thinking about things that were silly or sometimes scary and when they locked his door he couldn’t get away from them, even if he pushed his face really close to the window and pretended he was outside instead. He didn’t know why they locked his door. He didn’t want to run away from them. He just wanted to play with them. He just wanted to play with her right now even though his stomach wanted to eat more.  _

_ “We could make pancakes, Mommy,” he said, “I can be a helper” _

_ “Just go eat something,” she groaned at him as she closed her eyes again, “there’s food in there, just eat and leave me alone” _

_ She didn’t really want him to leave her alone, she was just tired. They told him he was bad when he was tired, so maybe she was too. He hoped that his father wouldn’t get mad at her for it. He didn’t mean to be bad when he was sleepy. He really didn’t. But his father told him he was rotten and naughty for refusing to sleep, even though he didn’t really do that. He just didn’t know how to make his thinking stop. But he got in trouble anyway. And he didn’t like being in trouble. He got in trouble all the time.  _

_ “Okay,” he sighed and left her again. _

_ He went into the kitchen and pulled as hard as he could on the refrigerator door. He pulled and pulled with all his might and pretended he was strong like a warrior. This was his treasure and he needed to claim it. It took him several tries, but the door flew open and the little glass jars inside made a special kind of music that he liked when they clinked together as he fell on his bottom to the floor. He picked himself up and looked inside. There were those drinks he wasn’t allowed to touch unless he was bringing his father some. Some jars of pickles and sauces he wasn’t sure the name of. Then in the very back he saw a little plastic jug of milk. He reached as far inside as he could and pulled it out, scrunching his nose as he remembered about cereal. He liked cereal, but that was not in the refrigerator.  _

_ He tried to ask his brain where the cereal was and he thought it said it was in the little doors that were up high where he couldn’t reach. But real warriors were problem solvers and he was a little warrior too, so he pulled out the flat drawers and used them like stairs to climb. He had to tiptoe across the tiny bridge of the sink to get to the other side, but eventually he was victorious, claiming the colorful box as he started his way back across to the drawers to climb down. As he shimmied across the lip of the sink, his foot slipped. First, his leg buckled into the sink. Then, he tried to catch himself, but there was nothing there to grab so he fell hard on his back on the floor, his head bouncing like a ball as the box of cereal spilled all around him.  _

_ It took him a minute to cry because at first he didn’t have any air to build one with. But then he felt the pain in his back and his head and he laid there and cried and cried and called for his mother until his chest staggered up and down and up and down and his eyes were hot and he ran out of tears. He wanted her to hold him and tell him his head wasn’t broken because he thought it was. He didn’t know how to fix a broken head. His father would be mad at him for breaking himself like he broke everything else. He didn’t mean to. He picked himself up off the floor and scurried back to her bedroom where she was sitting on the side of her bed, having finally convinced herself to go check on him.  _

_ “Mommy, I fell down,” he cried as he rubbed his eyes and sniffled. There was cereal clinging to the skin of his chest and his bare back was a bright shade of red from its contact with the hard floor.  _

_ “What did you do?” she asked him blearily, scrubbing her face with her hands.  _

_ “I was just hungry, Mommy. I tried to get some cereal and I fell down” _

_ She sighed and motioned for him to come close to her. He hurried as fast as he could and tried to climb into her arms, but she simply held his upper body awkwardly as he stayed on the ground. His arms weren’t long enough to wrap around her, but he tried. He was always clinging to her. Some days she loved the way he felt. He was so small and soft and tucked so perfectly into her when she held him. But other days, he felt so heavy that she couldn’t breath and then he wouldn’t stop talking and she couldn’t manage her own thoughts when he was bombarding her with his own. He thought too much about everything and he let it all fly when his father wasn’t home. When his father did come home, he would sit quietly in his own space and try not to bother him. She knew he was frightened of him. But sometimes she enjoyed the quiet it would bring. Having him around was exhausting. She was exhausted at that moment as he wanted something from her that she couldn’t give him.  _

_ “Is my head broken?” he asked, trying again to crawl further into her lap, but she gently pushed him back down.  _

_ “No, Link”  _

_ “Okay”  _

_ She let go of him and looked at his little face. His hair was dirty and she could see where he’d smeared his upset across his cheeks. Why was he always so dirty? But then she looked at his eyes and there was a small part of her that felt that flicker again. He had her eyes. His father’s eyes were dark, but Link’s eyes were so vibrant. They always had been. It was as if when she gave him life, she had given all of her own to him. She wanted to know what it felt like when that ficker became a full flame. Other mothers lived for their children, but she could barely live for herself, leaving very little to spare for him, though he seemed to crave it so desperately. Her heart clenched and she felt like she might vomit, but she stood and walked past him, hoping to drown out her mind with the television for a while.  _

_ “Mommy, you’re not sleepy anymore?” he asked as he trailed her.  _

_ She shook her head and sat down. He crawled up beside her.  _

_ “Are you gonna watch a show?” _

_ She nodded and picked up the remote control, scanning mindlessly until she let it stop on a wildlife documentary. Link let his mouth hang open slightly as he watched too, gasping when a wolf ran down a baby deer and covering his eyes when it began to eat. She made no reaction.  _

_ “I don’t like this one,” he whimpered. _

_ She clicked the remote to the next channel and he leaned into her. It was a holiday special documenting the process of decorating the replica of Hyrule Castle for the winter solstice. Link was wide eyed as the procession of men in the ancient castle guard gear parading around the manicured grounds.  _

_ “They have big swords,” he commented, sitting up on his knees to bounce up and down, “Those are very big ones. I like those”  _

_ She hummed and leaned her head back on the cushions but didn’t reply. The goddess statue in the middle of the garden on the television was draped in a floral garland of silent princesses. The commenter droned on about the illusive flower that had to be replicated for such a piece. The real flower had yet to thrive domestically, even after thousands of years of research, the man’s dull voice explained.  _

_ “Oh that’s pretty,” Link breathed as he turned to smile at her, but she wasn’t looking at him. She could feel his body shifting on the cushions. He could never be still. It was all she could focus on and her head began to hurt with the strain of it.  _

_ “Can I see the castle, Mommy? Can we go? I really like it” _

_ She covered her eyes with her arm and lolled her head away from him, hoping he’d grow bored of talking to her and move onto something else. But he didn’t.  _

_ “Oh! Look at all those people in there,” he exclaimed excitedly as it zoomed in on the little gift shop where images of little boys running around with replica shields and swords ran across the screen. He continued his bouncing and each movement jarred her brain.  _

_ “If I’m very good and don’t get in trouble can I have one, Mommy? Please? I will be so very careful, I promise, promise, promise,” he pleaded, turning to her with his eyes crinkled at the edges.  _

_ “Link,  _ **_please_ ** _ just be quiet,” she groaned, pushing away from him.  _

_ Then she didn’t feel the bouncing anymore. She let herself breath in the quiet that came after. It was blissfully silent until she finally heard him even as he tried very hard not to make any noise. She opened her eyes to see him curled into the arm of the opposite end of the couch, his little hands bunching together at his face, his chest quietly heaving up and down as he cried. She could tell he was muffling himself so that she wouldn't hear him. He always did what she asked.  _

_ “Can you go to your room for a little bit? I think I just want to rest in here,” she said softly, trying in vain to remedy her earlier comment. She couldn’t rest with him sitting there, reminding her of everything she’d done wrong. He lifted his head immediately and she could see that his lip was pushed out in a pout as he smeared his tears with his hands.  _

_ “I'm sorry, Mommy,” he cried, “Daddy will make me stay there. I can be quiet. I promise. Please let me stay with you”  _

_ “You can come out later, I’ll tell him not to lock it,” she promised, though she knew she had no power to stop it if she tried.  _

_ His mouth widened in a deep frown before he began to cry again and she wondered how life could be so difficult when you’re only four. The irritation came in on the same tide as her guilt and that flicker at the back of her heart wedged itself in-between the warring emotions as he made his way down the hallway, peering at her from the doorway before shutting it just like he’d been asked. She wouldn’t see him again until the next morning. Sometime later as she heard his father screaming at him for the mess he’d made in the kitchen, she realized that he never even got anything to eat. She cringed as she swallowed another pill and forced the thought from her mind as the fog saved her from herself again.  _

* * *

It was Friday night and Link still hadn’t woken up. Zelda’s slate buzzed and crawled around the table at the side of his bed. There was message after message from Mipha and Riju and Paya. 

_ Hey girl, you really not coming?  _

_ How sick is he that he can’t just come to the dance? _

_ Just ditch him and come with us! _

She ignored it all and held onto his hand. She’d finally gotten it warm and after all that effort, she knew that the moment she let go something would come and steal the warmth from it again. She just couldn’t allow that to happen. Sighing, she traced the lines of his palms and shifted in her chair. Despite being underage, they’d allowed her to stay with him. She assumed the older nurse who had taken care of her the day before had something to do with it as she’d winked at her before leaving at the end of her shift. Nurse Uma, she’d explained. While Zelda was very grateful, her back was sore from having fallen asleep at such an odd angle in the less than comfortable hospital chair. But she had refused to leave him, adamant that the last she had had left him he’d ended up in that state. Remy hadn’t fought her and instead made the trip home alone, promising to bring her back some clothes and something to eat. 

“Mipha is probably wearing something inappropriate,” Zelda said to him as he lay there unresponsive, “She’s like ripped from all the swimming and just  _ knows _ she looks good,” she continued, rolling her eyes. She’d been talking to him for hours, like Nurse Uma suggested. Not only did it calm her, but it made her feel less alone. 

“Riju is probably ogling Grante right now while complaining about his new girlfriend again. She likes him, you know. But she doesn’t ever tell him. I told her she just needed to tell him, but she said that was stupid. I just told you and now look at us,” she smiled sadly as she squeezed his hand. 

She fell quiet and thought about their shirts. His was still folded on the couch at her house.  _ It’s probably wrinkled,  _ she thought, imagining the deep creases in the dark fabric. She scolded herself for letting something so unimportant upset her. 

“I would have made you dance, you know,” she said to him as she closed her eyes, picturing it, “I know you’re shy, but I would have spun you all around until we got dizzy. That’s the best kind of dancing” 

She could see him; the strobing lights making a kaleidoscope of colors in his eyes. His eyes were so beautiful. She didn’t know if she’d ever told him that. Would he have been bashful? Or would he have spun her around just as fiercely? He’d been growing more confident in his actions, sometimes sneaking up on her and tickling her with kisses behind her ears. She missed him so much that she couldn’t breath. 

“I just love you,” she choked out as she cried anew, giving him an extra firm squeeze. 

She froze as she felt something tight on her hand, sucking in a hard breath when she felt it again. Her eyes darted down and she could see the tendons in his wrist flexing as he squeezed her back. 

“Link!” 

He left out a pained exhale as he started to gentle roll his head back and forth, a grimace forming on his face. His machines started beeping rapidly, his heart monitor beginning a quickened cadence as nurses flooded into his room. 

“What’s happening?” Zelda cried as she was pushed to the side. 

She could see his hand weakly rising as he fumbled with the oxygen line that was wrapped around his face. He kept his eyes closed as a deep wrinkle creased his forehead.

“Link, honey, you’re in the hospital. Don’t mess with that, it's helping you breath,” one of his nurses called out to him as she settled the line back securely into his nose despite him moving his head around. He tried lifting his body off the bed, but let out a weak cry as he fell back down.

“I need you to be still, Link. There are a lot of tools in you right now helping you heal. If you move around too much you’re going to hurt yourself” 

Nurse Uma ran into the room and she immediately found Zelda who had stepped off to the side in horror, clenching her hands at her chest. The nurse put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

“He’s waking up, baby. Remember what I told you? You hurry over now so it’s not this grizzled old face that is the first one he sees” 

She stood at the head of his bed, hesitantly reaching her hand out to rest on his cheek. 

“Open your eyes…” she said gently, running her thumb along the side of his face that wasn’t bruised, “wake up, Link”

Slowly, his eyelids cracked open before fluttering closed again. He tried again and again until they finally opened. He rolled his head around slowly before he found her, their hearts racing in sync as the room filled up with the rapid beeping of his monitors. His pupils were dilated so that hardly any blue peaked from the edges, but the sight filled Zelda with so much joy that she cried out in relief. They stared at each other as his heart began to slow. Nurse Uma simply nodded at her coworkers and encouraged them to keep straightening his lines in silence now that he’d calmed.

“Hi,” she whispered, smiling through her tears. 

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally found his voice. 

“Zel...da?” he croaked as his fingers twitched at his sides. 

“Yes,” she replied, pushing herself as close to him as possible with all the barriers, “It’s me, I’m here”

“Zelda…” he repeated before his breathing slowed and his eyelids started to fall. 

Zelda turned in a panic to Nurse Uma who shushed her, pointing to his IV.

“We gave him something for the pain. He wasn’t feeling it before, but he’s awake now. He’s just going to sleep now baby, don’t worry,” she explained. 

Zelda let out a breath and watched as he slowly fell back into slumber, his eyes still on her as he faded in and out. 

“You remembered,” she whispered to him, brushing his hair from his eyes, “You remembered how to send the pin” 

He lightly squeezed her hand before she felt his fingers slide down to the bed as he finally fell back to sleep. Nurse Uma motioned for the other nurses to leave the room. Once he’d settled and his monitors indicated he was truly resting, she raised his gown and checked on the tube in his chest. 

“He must have jarred this when he tried to sit up. That’s what was bothering him,” she explained to Zelda who went pale at the sight of it. She was thankful for the gauze that hid it’s entry into his body. Once all of his equipment was settled back into place and Nurse Uma made sure his numbers were still stable, she turned to smile at Zelda. 

“I may be old, but I know when two people are sweet on each other. He calmed right down when he heard your voice”

Zelda found herself blushing as she settled back into her chair. 

“Yeah…”

“Well you’re both cute as a button and even cuter as a pair”

Zelda smiled and grabbed his hand again. 

“Now, where’s that big, strong father of yours? I have a job for him,” Nurse Uma said as she straightened out her scrubs and wrote notes onto Link’s chart. 

Zelda tried to remember what he’d told her. 

“He had to take care of something at the office so he could take some time off. But he should be back any minute”

“Perfect. As soon word gets out to the police that he’s awake, they’ll be pestering him for answers. I don’t want anyone bothering him but you and your father until he’s strong enough to want to talk himself. He’s going to be confused and sore when he wakes up but they’ll expect a full report and they won’t be as patient as us. And don’t get me started on social services. I’ve already shooed them away three times. You think your father could scare them away for me? That seems like something he would be good at” 

Zelda grinned as she thought about her father blocking the doorway with his massive frame. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be. To anyone but Zelda, of course. To her, he was nothing more than a big cuddly teddy bear. She pulled out her slate and started to message him. 

_ Link’s awake. Nurse Uma asked if you could scare away the police that want to talk to him. _

_ I’ll be there in 2 minutes,  _ he responded immediately,  _ Scare them away in my absence until I get there. You’re plenty scary _

Zelda showed Nurse Uma her screen and she let out a belly laugh that was so infectious it made Zelda laugh too. 

“Excellent. Now, if he wakes up again, don’t let him move around. Use that charm you have on him, you hear me?” she winked at her before hurrying out of the room. 

“I love you, Link,” Zelda breathed as soon as they were alone, “And I’m never leaving you. Never, ever again”

She leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek that was slowly regaining his color. She could almost swear she saw the corner of his lip twitch in response as she repeated it again and again.  _ I love you. I love you.  _ She prayed the words would go straight from her mouth into his heart and lodge themselves so permanently there that it would be impossible for him to forget them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bawled like a baby writing that flashback. I've highlighted his physical abuse, but only touched on the emotional side. If you have a baby, please tell them you love them after reading this. That was hard, but important to show you why he is the way he is. I had a hard time not writing Zelda just crawling into bed with him, but that wouldn't really be appropriate in a hospital setting and with a tube coming out of his chest. 
> 
> If you google chest tubes after a collapsed lung you can see exactly what he has going on. It's kind of gnarly! 
> 
> BRB getting a tissue. Y'all need some?


	15. Chapter 15

He wasn’t like she expected when he finally woke up enough to realize where he was. She wanted it to be like the movies where he might leap up and pepper her with kisses or scoot over so they could share the bed and giggle at all the nurses. He’d smiled softly when he recognized her but he had said very little since. She knew he was still struggling with the pain, but it made her feel like there was something she was missing. He fell in and out of sleep all day and it left Zelda feeling drained. All she wanted was to have him back. She wanted to talk about school and stupid movies and make jokes and hear him laugh. But he was quiet and seemed focused only on his own breathing as he listened to everyone around him talk. She would watch as his eyes went between Remy and Nurse Uma as they quipped back and forth about having missed the latest episode of some show she didn’t know her father even watched. The expression on his face was almost one of confusion. 

Despite Remy’s best efforts, eventually Link had to talk to the police. They’d asked for them to clear the room and although Zelda protested, Remy was able to get her out the door and down the hall where she nervously sipped on bitter coffee and paced. When they finally emerged, she ran back to his side and found his eyes puffy and his gaze distant. He didn’t even seem to notice she was back until she cleared her throat. 

“You okay?”

He turned his head to look at her and nodded, closing his eyes as he did so. 

“Did they...did you tell them anything?” 

Both her and her father had been very careful not to ask him about what happened. What little he’d said to them had been in the form of nods or head shakes or simple one word replies. Remy explained to her that when he was ready to talk he would, giving her the same speech he’d given when she found out about his father in the first place. It didn’t sit right with her but she listened, choosing instead to update Link on everything he’d missed while he was asleep. Apparently Mipha had ended up dancing with Grante, causing tension with him and his girlfriend who abruptly left the building in the middle of the event in a tizzy. Riju then swooped in and sweet talked him into coming over after the dance and now they were talking. Zelda went into detail about how Mipha and Riju could be shady but that the drama was good so she didn’t mind. She stopped mid sentence when she noticed him crying. 

“Link? What’s wrong?”

He took several short breaths with his eyes closed. His lung was still in the process of healing and even with oxygen he would get short of breath very easily. 

“Are you okay? Can you breath?” she fretted over him, her hands not knowing where to touch him without causing pain. She cursed her dad for leaving to get snacks and desperately looked at the door, praying a nurse would shoot in. 

“ _ I don’t know _ ,” he whispered through pained breaths. 

“You don’t know?” she felt herself shrink at his words. She suddenly felt very stupid for thinking he would care about her friends' high school drama when his life had completely fallen apart to the point of almost losing it. Of course she had upset him. He continued to struggle for air as he cried until the machinery around him started beeping and a nurse rushed in the room. 

“Link, you need to calm down. Take a deep breath through your nose so you can get your oxygen, okay?”

He squeezed his eyes shut but his panic continued. He cried out in pain when he accidentally twisted the portion of his ribs where his tube was placed and the nurse pressed a button on his bed for help. The noises of the machines made Zelda’s anxiety skyrocket and she found herself backing out of the door, crushing into her father’s chest who almost knocked her over trying to see for himself what was happening. He dropped everything in his hands when Zelda nearly climbed him, desperate to get away so that she couldn’t hurt him anymore. 

“Woah, woah!” Remy cried out as she fell apart in her arms, “What happened? Is he okay?” 

“He just started crying and I was being so stupid and I think I hurt his feelings and he just said ‘I don’t know’ and I’m so stupid and I think I hurt him, Dad,” she blubbered into his shirt as he led her into an empty waiting room at the end of the fall after poking his head in the door to check on Link. 

He shushed her and waited until she’d stopped hiccupping, letting her use his sleeve to wipe her face as he rubbed her back. She was so young, so untouched by the type of pain that Link was harboring. He knew she was doing the best she could with what she had, but neither of them could ever know the storm inside of Link. The best they could do was be there for him to help him weather it. 

“He’s not mad at you, sweetheart,” he reassured her, “he’s just hurting right now. You didn’t have to see what I did and I’ll be forever grateful for that, but what he experienced isn’t going to go away easy. You have to understand that he’s going to be changed from this”

She straightened herself in the chair beside him and smoothed out her clothes, letting her eyes wander around the dimly lit room. 

“But why? Why does he have to change?”

Remy leaned back and closed his hands over his chest thinking back to a time in his life when he’d been lost. When the colors had faded from his vision and everything was washed in the muted tones of his own melancholy. Only Zelda had been able to fill his life back up with color, but even then it was in different shades than before. 

“I’m not the same man I was before we lost your mother. Grief...it does things to you. It hardens some places in you while it softens others. It’s sickly and it’s painful and it’s so overbearing at times that it feels like you’re drowning in it. But life goes on around you and you figure out that you have to find a way to keep moving forward despite it dragging you back. But that takes time. He’s only just processing what happened to him. He just lost his entire life, Zelda. Nothing will ever be the same for him. Give him some time”

She only nodded and pulled her legs up in the chair to rest her chin on her knees. Life had been simpler when all she had to worry about was what to say to the quiet boy that had captured her attention one day in class. She hadn’t known how to explain it to Mipha when she’d caught her staring at the back of his head in history for the 12th time, but she’d just felt drawn to him. Like they were meant to be in each other’s spaces. Then when they’d finally grown close, she felt at home with him. She could tell him anything and do anything and he never shied away from her. She didn’t have to make herself beautiful to keep his attention or do anything to him to keep his interest like she’d heard from so many other girls at school. All she had to do was talk to him and he was completely enraptured by her. She thought back to the week they’d spent together at her house, wondering if it hadn’t been the happiest she’d ever been. All she wanted was to snuggle with him on her couch and watch a low budget horror film just to feel the way his laugh traveled up through his chest as she laid against it. 

“Mr. Hyrule?” Nurse Uma said, bringing them both back to attention. 

“We ended up sedating him. I’ve talked to the doctor and we both agree it might be beneficial to get him on some medication to deal with the trauma he’s been through. But because he’s technically a ward of the state right now we have to wait on someone from social services to sign off on it” 

“Ward of the state?” Remy questioned, the meaning of the term just out of reach in his mind. 

“I understand his biological parents are out of the picture and he has no extended family” 

Remy nodded in understanding and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

“But he has us, though” Zelda chimed in, looking between the two adults as they shared a look. 

“Yes, but you don’t have legal custody of him. If he were released today, it would be to a foster family or a group home. He is still under 18”

“What?!” Zelda cried out, her hands flying to her mouth, “Why can’t he come home with us?” 

“Zelda these things are complicated-” 

“Then uncomplicate it!” she yelled as she stormed down the hall, unwilling to hear anymore. She flew through Link’s door and to his bedside where he winced in his sleep. 

“I don’t care what anybody says,” she told him, “you’re coming home with me. You might have lost one family, but you didn’t lose this one. I’m not losing you again”

Later when Remy reentered the room, he would find her curled up in her chair that was pushed so close to Link’s bed that he could reach out and touch her if he chose to. She lifted her eyes to him as he knelt down to look at her. 

“I’m going to figure it out,” he said, pushing her hair behind her ear, “I promise”

“Thank you, Dad,” she murmured before looking at Link, “I think he’d say thank you too, if he could” 

Remy turned and gently mussed the boy’s hair as he lay back on his pillow, his mouth slightly ajar. 

“Hopefully he doesn’t mind. This might complicate things for you. If I can do this, he’ll technically be your brother and sisters and brothers don’t usually kiss each other on the lips,” he said as he turned back to her, a teasing smile on his face. 

“Daaaaad,  _ stop _ ,” she whined as she covered the redness on her face with her hands. It felt good to smile again, to have back some of the easiness from before. 

“All I’m saying is it might be inappropriate,” he kept goading her. 

“Dad! He’s not my brother!” 

“I always wanted a son”

“You’re terrible!” she scoffed as she folded her arms and tried to fight the corners of her mouth from turning up. 

“I am not and you know it,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, “you should come home tonight and sleep in your own bed. He’ll be out a while and you need a shower” 

She picked up her limp hair and recoiled. He might have been teasing, but she hadn’t put any thought into her own care since Link woke up. It wasn’t the worst idea. 

“What if he wakes up?”

“Nurse Uma will tell him you will be right back and then I’m sure you will break every speed limit on the way here”

She playfully scowled at him before relenting and kissing Link goodbye. 

* * *

While Zelda slept, Remy made his way to the police station to talk with the officer in charge of Link’s case. He hadn’t been able to get anything out of the interviewing officers at the hospital and it was eating him up inside not to know what was going on. He’d even driven by Link’s house to see the fringe of caution tape still sealing the front door closed. He imagined the scene that lay behind those doors and felt himself swallow deeply. His blood would always be on that tile, even if it was scrubbed until it was no longer visible. His trauma would mend to the shape of every corner of that house. Hopefully he’d never have to see it again.

“I told you, Mr. Hyrule, I cannot give you any information,” Officer Keye explained again. 

Remy held back a growl at the back of this throat and threw his hand down harshly on the table, making the little ceramic cup of writing utensils dance in the aftershock. 

“Listen, I saw what happened in that house. I need to know if that monster is still on the run and if I need to be on the lookout in case he shows up at the hospital to finish what he started!” he shouted, letting his voice fill the room with his anger. 

Officer Keye waved his hand in the direction of the chair across from his desk and sat down in his own, unbothered by his outburst. 

Remy kept his face hard as he sat, watched as the officer clicked the top of his pen over and as he thought about how to frame his next words. 

“We have a good guess as to what happened based on circumstantial clues, but as of right now, it’s just speculation. I can't give you anything concrete. We are still searching for the boy’s family, but they’ve both disappeared. He must be using cash or staying off the grid. We’ve had no leads”

“ _ Speculation?!”  _ Remy spat in disbelief, “Did you not talk to Link? There’s no denying what happened. I don’t know his mother’s involvement, but Link didn’t do that to himself” 

Officer Keye sighed and laid his pen down on the table, crossing his hands together as they rested on the desk. 

“We did talk to him, but we got very little information, if any”

“What?” Remy deflated a little as he tried to process it. 

“He doesn’t seem to remember what happened. My officers told me he seemed very confused and only asked if his mother was okay. When they told him her location was unknown, he became visibly upset and didn’t say anything else. We can’t lead him into the narrative that we think is true, Mr. Hyrule” 

Remy massaged his brow with a hand as he tried to force down the emotion that was threatening to crumble the image he’d tried to create. He needed to be strong for Link. To be the father the world had stripped him of. But he hadn’t even known. Zelda didn’t even know. This whole time Link had sat quiet, wondering what had happened to him as they continued on around him as if he already knew. What special type of torment was that? He thought about the night on his deck where Link had finally managed to let him in and all the pushing it took to get him there. He should have known that Link wouldn't ask for help. That he would endure it all alone as he always had. He clenched his teeth and his fists before taking a sharp breath and standing. 

“Thank you, Officer Keye”

“Have a good day, Mr. Hyrule”

* * *

“Zelda?” he called out as he finally made his way through the drug induced haze he’d been under. 

But no one was there. The room he’d been in for days now was empty. The generic patterned plastic shades were pulled so that he had no reference for what time of day it was. It could have been hours since he went under or days. He had no way of knowing. He didn’t know anything at all anymore. He couldn’t even remember the name of that nurse that Zelda seemed to like. They must have been there a long time in order to get so comfortable with each other. Or maybe she was just personable. How long had he been in that bed? How had he gotten there? Why was there a tube shoved in between his ribs? He could hardly stand to shift at all from the pain it brought. He hated the plastic tubing that was constantly wrapped around his face. It rubbed his nose raw and made his mouth dry. He pulled it off and scrunched up his nose, sighing from finally being free of it. 

His mind felt hollow and spent. He’d tried to remember, but all he had were flashes that were so quick he couldn’t reach out and grab them. There was yelling. Cursing. Pain. But then nothing. They told him that his parents were missing. But where had they gone? He’d never known his mother to go anywhere that wasn’t their house. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. Nothing was right and everything was wrong and he felt crushed underneath all of what he didn’t know. One moment he would be numb and the next he’d be drowning. He’d feel his heart bleeding in his chest as a despair so fierce and so unforgiving started to push into him that he wondered if he’d ever survive it. They all seemed so relieved that he’d woken up, but he didn’t share that relief. He wanted to close his eyes and let it wash him away for good. He couldn’t stand it. It made his stomach churn and his head pound and his hands weak. 

The only thing that kept him from letting it win was Zelda. She’d been by his side through it all, keeping him anchored with her hand firmly in his. Sometimes when he couldn’t speak, he would simply squeeze her hand and she’d turn to smile at him. Where did she go? Was she missing too? Had she finally seen the darkness inside of him and escaped?

He let out a raspy cough as the room started to spin. He could faintly hear the ever-present beeping of his monitors as Nurse Uma charged into the room. 

“I know that’s not my sweet baby in here taking off his oxygen  _ again,”  _ she scolded him lightly as she pressed the tubing back onto his face. He took in several deep breaths and could feel the dizziness start to fade, “Your lungs are not ready to work on their own yet. Keep this on, okay?”

“Where’s Zelda?” he asked groggily, shifting his head so he could see her. 

Her eyes twinkled as she gave him a knowing look while straightening his hair and messing with the folds in his sheets. 

“She went home to rest. She’s been here with you the whole time, taking good care of you. She needed to take care of herself for a little bit, but I have no doubt she’ll be back” 

He nodded and tried not to let her see the silent tear that rolled down his cheek. He didn’t want to be alone. 

“Do you want me to stay with you for a while, sweetheart?” she asked as her heart broke at the sight of him. He looked so lost and dazed. 

He nodded weakly and she patted him softly on his hand, explaining that she’d return in a moment after she sorted some things out. True to her word she returned to the room and settled in Zelda’s chair beside him. 

“Do you know how you ended up here, baby? I know it can be confusing waking up like that and I can see all over your face that you’re trying to figure it out” 

He shook his head and pulled his blanket up over his chest almost self consciously, as if it would keep her from knowing more about him than she already seemed to know. 

“From what I’ve gathered, something happened to you at home and Zelda's father went and found you. When you got here, you had two surgeries to fix hole in your abdomen and your lung and now you’re recovering here in my neck of the woods. I don’t know anymore than that, but I do know that you’re lucky to have those two. Did you know that Zelda won’t sleep on that couch over there?” she pointed to a small couch under the window at the end of the room. 

He followed her finger and then shook his head. He’d never noticed it there. 

“She says it's too far away from you. She sits right here and holds your hand. She’s a sweet little thing, isn’t she?”

He heard himself sniffle as another tear rolled down his cheek. 

“Now, now, none of that. You don’t have enough air to spare on crying. Let’s turn this thing on and see what we can find to watch”

She reached across him to find the remote for the television that was mounted on the wall before him. She swapped through the channels, commenting on the qualities of each one before settling on a reality show he'd watched once with Zelda. She leaned back and crossed her legs, getting comfortable in the chair. They watched together for a long time without speaking before he finally managed to clear his throat. 

“Thank you,” he said weakly. 

She reached a hand out to pat him again and smiled.

"Don't you worry, things will look up one day. I promise"

He didn't think she had any right to promise him anything, especially since she didn't really know him. But he let it comfort him anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've caught up with my prewritten chapters and Mondays are notoriously hard for me so I'm not sure if I'll update tomorrow. It just depends. 
> 
> Here's a little early Sunday update and some insight into Link's wellbeing. He's still in there, but he's a little shell-shocked and confused. That kind of trauma will do that to you. When I first planned this section, the hospital was only going to be one chapter. But then I realized what a huge injury he really had and thought I needed to extend it to really show the aftermath. Again, if I've made a medical mistake please use your imagination lol


	16. Chapter 16

While Zelda tried to convince Link to eat something or  _ anything,  _ Remy fought with every social worker he could find at the agency. He was in another such argument as Zelda sat and bounced her leg, watching as Link stirred the now cold soup on the hospital tray, the same vacant expression on his face. 

“Link, you haven’t eaten anything all day”

He pushed the noodles around with his spoon and let his vision focus in and out. His moments of clarity were few and far between and he still struggled with the unrelenting haze of confusion and heartache that clouded his every moment. He didn’t see any point in eating. He heard her shift in her chair and rolled his head so he could look at her. It was the only way he could pull himself out of the pit he had found himself in the moment he opened his eyes. She had left her hair down and thrown it over the edge of the chair as she curled up on her side, her eyes dark as she slowly scrolled through her slate. His eyes cleared as he noticed the shirt she was wearing, with the unmistakable outline of the blood moon and the tacky font. Something clicked in his mind. 

“The dance,” he said, the gears in his mind slowly turning, “when is the dance?”

Zelda cocked her head as he watched him. His eyes were so intense on her, clear for the first time in days. 

“Oh, we uh...we missed it,” she shrugged, not wanting to go into detail, “it was last week”

“Last week?” he repeated, perplexed. 

“Yeah, you left school on Thursday and then…”

“And then…” he mimicked, his eyes falling as his brow furrowed. She could see him working something out. His mouth opened and closed a few times as his eyes raced back in forth under his closed lids. 

“I went home,” he finally said, opening his eyes to look at her, “I went home after leaving school. With my Dad”

He started to push up in bed, knowing too well by now not to disturb his left side too much. He took a deep breath as the pain settled and pushed on his eyes with his palms, trying as hard as he could to dislodge the memory from his brain. 

“You remember?” 

He fought with himself internally for what felt like forever until he finally sighed and laid back gently, turning his head to look at her. She was on the edge of her seat, her hands gripped tightly on the metal railing. 

“You said...you said Mipha danced with Grante,” he said slowly, remembering how sad she'd looked when she told him. He hadn't had the strength to respond then, but he always listened. 

Her eyes lit up and her cheeks mounded slightly from the smile growing on her face.

“Yeah, I did”

“You said...Riju likes him too” 

“I did,” her smile grew. 

She let out an airy laugh as he processed that information with so much sincerity as if it were the most important thing she’d ever told him. He tended to do that with everything she said. No matter how miniscule the detail, he would store it away and give it it’s due attention. It was something she loved about him. No part of her was unimportant to him. 

“You told her just to tell him...that she liked him”

“I didn’t think you were listening to me,” she laughed, “You were so groggy”

“Well…” he took a deep breath and settled back into his pillow, “I like...listening to you” 

She leaned over his bed and hovered just above his face. He opened his eyes when he felt her warm breath across his skin. 

“Hey Link,” she smiled.

He made himself breath a few times through his nose, feeling his body absorb the oxygen and slow the way he’d begun to spin. 

“Hey Zelda,” he breathed back. 

“I missed you”

He opened his eyes and met hers. His chest rose heavily up and down as he lifted his one hand that wasn’t taped with an IV to cradle her cheek. She leaned into his touch and sighed. He was still there.  _ He was still there.  _

“I love you” they both said before she leaned in and kissed him sweetly, careful of his still healing lip. She let her forehead rest on his as they breathed each other in. 

“Even like this?” he whispered.

“Even like this” 

She brushed her thumb along his cheek before letting go and settling back in her chair. He kept his eyes on her the entire time and she felt herself blushing under his gaze. 

“What?!” she asked, pulling her legs up to hold them against herself. 

“You look...beautiful”

She covered her face with her hands, peeking out from her fingers to look at him smiling at her with his eyes closed as he drifted back off. 

“What’s got you all bashful?” Nurse Uma filled the room with her voice before moving to check on Link, pushing a small tray of medical materials with her.

“Nothing,” Zelda grinned. 

“Nothing,” she repeated, skeptical, “And I’m 20 years old again”

Zelda’s smile fell as she watched Nurse Uma pull up Link’s gown and peel back the layers covering his chest. He flinched reflectively in this sleep and she could see his muscles contracting all the way up to his neck. 

“What are you doing?”

The nurse gently picked up the gauze, revealing a line of medical tubing jutting from Link's chest. Zelda bit back her instant nausea at the sight of it. 

“His scans came back good. We can take this out today”

“How?”

She turned and winked at her like she always did before turning her attention back to Link. 

“Link, I need you to wake up”

He moaned in his sleep but didn’t open his eyes. 

“Come on now,” Nurse Uma said as she patted the side of his face gently.

HIs eyes fluttered back open slowly. He looked down at the tube before his own face blanched more than it already was. 

“This isn’t going to be fun, but I need you to take a deep breath, okay? Zelda, why don’t you come here” 

Zelda shuffled to her feet and grabbed onto his hand as he looked down at himself in horror. The sutured stab wound sat just below the tubing, the skin gnarled and ugly all around it. 

It was the first time they’d seen it not covered in bandages. He had another one sitting below that one that was still tightly wrapped. Luckily, only one of the wounds had hit an organ, the second one just contributing to his blood loss and his soreness, having sliced through his abdominal wall. For the first time, Zelda imagined what he’d actually gone though. She pushed down the metal bars of his bed and crushed herself into his other side so that her face was in the crook of his neck, their hands intertwined just under her chin. He melted into her and turned away as Nurse Uma started working. 

“I need you to take a deep breath and hold it in while I pull out. That way you don’t get any extra air trapped in there. It shouldn’t be too painful, but it’ll feel strange as I pull it out. Are you ready?”

He nodded into Zelda and closed his eyes as he did exactly what she’d told him to do. 

It was a quick thing, the end of it signified only by Link’s quiet gasp as the last of it finally left his body. She quickly wrapped him back up before covering him again with his sheet as they still held each other. Nurse Uma kept an eye on him as he buried his face in her hair. 

“That upper wound still looks pretty unpleasant. We were hoping the redness would have gone down by now, but it’s still hurting you pretty good isn’t it?” Nurse Uma asked him as he grimaced into Zelda.   
  
He nodded again and stayed where he was, finding peace for the first time in days in the familiar shape of Zelda’s embrace.

“Do you want me to get something for your pain?”

“No,” his voice was as firm as he could make it.

“Are you sure? She shared a glance with Zelda who seemed surprised at his response. 

“I just want...to feel normal”

Nurse Uma sighed as she relaxed the worry from her features, leaving behind a motherly look of sympathy. 

“Honey, nothing about this is normal. But maybe…” she walked around his bed and lowered the bars Zelda had halfway shimmied down before the procedure. She then walked to the other side of his bed and grabbed onto the sheet he was laying on. 

“Do me a favor and let go for a minute,” she instructed. He did as he was told and Zelda stood there puzzled as she seemed to brace herself for movement. In one solid, but gentle, tug Link was slid to the farthest side of his bed, leaving a foot of space on his side. He stared at it perplexed until Uma motioned for Zelda to climb up. Zelda felt her face heat at her insistence. 

“Oh don’t be bashful! You’ve been wanting to do this for days, don’t try and hide it now!”

Zelda choked on her embarrassment before hopping cautiously into Link’s bed, turning to smile at him as he watched her with wide eyes. 

“Is this okay?” she asked timidly, “Am I hurting you?”

He quickly shook his head, moving his arm so she could scoot closer. When the awkwardness finally settled, so did he. He was warm up against her side. She had almost forgotten how good it felt to be so close to him. 

“Mmm” he managed to croak out as his eyes fluttered and his head fell down to rest on her shoulder. 

“Now that I’ve done you a favor, will you do me one?” Nurse Uma interrupted their moment, making Zelda startle slightly. She’d been so engrossed by their closeness she’d forgotten they weren’t alone. 

“Hmm?” Link hummed, his face twisting as he tried to shift his body to get comfortable. 

“Would you let me give you some medicine now? You may be able to hide it from her, but I can see it all over your face. You’re hurting”

Zelda’s hand shot straight to his face, cradling it in one of her hands as she pushed it closer to her. 

“It’s okay, Link. I’ll be right here”  
  
“Okay”

He made a noise before stilling so he could focus on breathing through the pain shooting across his ribcage. Zelda looked up at Nurse Uma expectantly but she hadn’t moved. 

“He said yes” 

“You must speak his language because that just sounded like a grunt to me,” she said, her voice skeptical.

“Nurse Uma, please. He won’t ask for it. That’s just how he is,” Zelda pleaded, her eyes begging.

She thought it over, watching his chest rise and fall as he grimaced in Zelda’s arms. She nodded and walked out into the hallway, returning with a needle of liquid she put into his IV line. 

“Better get comfortable, that one might knock him out a while”

“I’m good” 

“If anyone asked this wasn’t my idea,” she motioned to them in the bed before laughing to herself as she packed up her supplies and left the room. When Zelda heard the door click shut, she maneuvered herself around until his head was settled on the flat planes of her upper chest, sighing and letting herself fully relax while running her hand through his dirty hair. 

“This seems...inappropriate,” Link mumbled, though he was too drained to move himself. She made him so comfortable he could hardly open his mouth to speak. 

“Do you want me to move?”

He was so quiet that she thought he’d fallen asleep until she heard a muffled “no” from under his breath. She laughed and kissed the top of his head. 

“I’m tired of sleeping”

“You do sleep a lot now”

He took a deep breath and smiled weakly against her. 

“Why did you not go to the dance?”

She briefly stopped the twirling of her hand in his hair but he made no reaction. 

“Because my boyfriend was in the hospital...duh," she scoffed playfully. 

He briefly stopped breathing as the beep of his heart monitor slowly increased. 

“Boyfriend?”

“Yeah, you should meet him. He’s really tough. He took a knife to the chest twice and he’s still kicking. He can be a little slow though,”

She felt him squeeze her hand before letting out a raspy cough that was just shy of a laugh. They didn't move much after that and she felt him slowly slacken around her until the only movement in the bed was her occasional shifting or when he jerked in his sleep. She heard her slate buzzing from the chair and ignored it. There was no one she wanted more than the boy now slightly drooling onto her shirt in his drug induced sleep. The rhythm of his breathing was so gentle that she let it lull her into sleep right alongside him. 

* * *

She startled awake to the sound of a woman’s voice in the room followed shortly by the raucous laughter of her father. Link shifted in reaction to her movement but was otherwise gone to the world, the pain medication keeping him under. He lay mostly on his back to avoid irritating his injuries, but his head was still slumped on her chest as she twirled his hair. 

“Oh my!” the woman shrieked when she saw them. 

“I tried to tell you,” Remy laughed as he focused on his daughter, “Zelda, why are you in the hospital bed?” 

Zelda shrunk a little under the woman’s judgmental gaze and shrugged. 

“They took the thing out,” she deflected, hoping they would somehow ignore the fact that she was breaking quite possibly every hospital rule there was. 

“What thing?”

“The uh-” she motioned vaguely around his upper chest area and Remy let out a noise of understanding as he cringed, trying to not visual the process. 

The woman cleared her throat and tapped on her clipboard, causing Remy to try and regain some semblance of the authoritative persona he had adopted all day. He’d spent hours speaking to every social worker, having them visit his home, ask him about his alcohol intake or if there were any firearms in his home, among a laundry list of other things. He’d called movers to shift around furniture, Impa to make sure his company hadn’t fallen into anarchy, and even Mr. Agus, who he had had to dissuade from visiting the hospital when he vaguely informed him both Link and Zelda would require distance learning until future notice. His mind was stretched so thin that the woman’s words almost fell completely through it before he remembered why he brought her there. 

“Zelda, do you think you could wake him up? This is Ms. Leta from social services. She has to ask Link a few questions,” he spoke carefully, hoping that Zelda would read the tone in his voice and not choose that moment to make him seem like an incompetent father who allowed his daughter to climb into critically injured people’s hospital beds and talk back. 

“But we're so comfortable,” she complained, resting her hand on the top of his head. 

“I know, he can rest again when she leaves. But if we get this done today then maybe we’ll have some good news for him for a change” 

Zelda’s eyes narrowed as she watched his body language. He was practically begging her from behind the woman’s back, his brows so high on his face that they nearly flew away. 

Zelda sighed and let her hand brush down Link’s cheek before gently tipped his head up. 

“Link...can you wake up? Someone is here to talk to you,” she spoke softly as she rubbed his cheek. 

He moaned and she could see his eyes moving under his lids. 

“Link?”

“...Mom?” he mumbled as he cracked his eyes.  
  
Zelda’s heart clenched and she bit her lip to try and hold back the immediate upset building behind her own eyes. She could tell he wasn’t fully awake as his dilated pupils roamed over the room. He blinked heavily a few times before sitting back and looking at her.

“Hey, kiddo,” Remy chimed in, trying to slice the tension in the room with the boisterousness of his voice, “How are you feeling?”

“Um..." he rasped as he scrubbed at his face, "I'm here"

Zelda smiled as she watched him wake up. Though he still had a long way to go in terms of healing, he had slowly started regaining his color in his cheeks. Seeing him with one less tube meant he was one step closer to going home. But which home would he go to?

“Hello, Link. Do you remember me?” Ms. Leta chimed in, uncapping her pen, “I came to visit you not too long ago. I’m glad to see you, even under these circumstances”

He nodded and cast his gaze down. She had been the last case worker to come to their house. He’d spent years lying to people just like her. He felt nauseous just thinking of it. 

“Could you two give us a moment alone?” 

Zelda shared a look with Remy who nodded to her. She smiled at Link as she squeezed his hand, moving slowly out of the bed to ensure she didn’t hurt him. When they had left the room, Ms. Leta took Zelda’s usual place in the chair by his bed. 

“You’re a smart boy. I know you understand why I’m here” 

He let his eyes fall on his hands in his lap. They were empty without Zelda. 

“Your mother and father are currently wanted fugitives. So that leaves you in a precarious situation”

He squeezed own hand, but it wasn’t quite the same. 

“You have a few choices. There is a group home not far from your school. It’s a wonderful program, they grow food in local gardens for the needy, and provide community service. You’d stay busy there. Or, there’s always a list of foster families we could attempt to match you with, though not many typically take kids who are your age”

He didn’t answer.

“Or...I’m not sure if you are aware or not, but Mr. Hyrule has been terrorizing our offices for the past two days making what is usually a weeks long process of application and approval into a one day event,” she let her own aggravation slip in, breathing in exasperation as she continued, “he has been relentless in his pursuit of being approved to have you placed in his home. The only thing we have left is your approval”

He looked at her, confused. No one had ever asked him his opinion before. As a child, his voice was as inconsequential as the barking of neighborhood dogs. He didn’t usually have a say in what happened to him, he only just had to accept the consequences without question. As much as he wanted to leap from bed and drive straight to Zelda’s house, there was the familiar ache in his heart that called him in a direction that always ended with him being completely lost. Yet, he would always soldier on, as if one day he may find something there. 

“What about my mom?”

Ms. Leta sighed and closed her pen, tapping away at her notebook with the edge of it. 

“Honey, she gave up her rights to you when she left with your father”

“But she didn’t hurt me,” he argued, feeling his face get hot, “it wasn’t her. I don’t remember everything, but I know she didn’t hurt me. She wouldn’t do that”

She straightened herself in her chair as he clenched his fists in the blankets.

“She may not have. But she didn’t help you either,” she said softly, “Mr. Hyrule was the only person to assist you before paramedics arrived. There is no evidence to support that she intervened at all”

He fell back against his pillow and covered his face with his hands. He felt bitterness all over him like a rush of insects, making his skin scrawl. He wanted to rip the tubes from his arms, to smash the monitors that never ceased their beeping. He wanted to puncture the bag of fluids glistening beside his bed just to hear it slosh across the floor. His hands crawled to his hair and he pulled tightly, feeling the roots scream against the force of it as hot tears fell down his face. He wanted nothing more than to rip his own heart from his chest and carve away the piece of it that still held onto her and smash it so savagely into the ground that it became one with the grout and the stains of the foot traffic, forgotten under the smears of dirt and grime under everyone’s feet. He hated her. _ He loved her _ . He hated every moment she’d ever spent fooling him into still believing he was important to her; every morning she shared a mug of coffee with him or laid her head on his shoulder when he sat beside her watching TV. He wanted to scrub her touch from his skin just as fiercely as he wanted her to hold him and tell him that she loved him. That he was her son and she didn’t regret every breath he took. He choked back a sob as he let himself feel the absence of her as if she hadn't already been gone long before then. 

“I’m so sorry, Link. You don’t have to answer me today. I know you've been through so much already. I’ll give you some time,” she said gently as she rose from her seat.

“Wait” he croaked before she could make it to the door. 

“I want to go home with Zelda,” he cried, “Please. I just want to go home”

She nodded to him as she checked something on her clipboard. 

“You deserve a family that doesn’t hurt you, Link. Please let yourself believe that”

As soon as she opened the door, Zelda was on him. She gasped when she saw the state of his face, fretting over wiping his tears and smoothing down his hair before she crawled back into his bed and cradled his head in her arms without needing to say a word. He could feel his tension ebbing as her presence worked its magic on his broken soul. 

Remy thanked Ms. Leta before standing at his bedside, his eyes soft. 

“I hope you’re okay with all that. I mean, all this. You were staying with us before, it's just, well, I guess it’s official now and all…” he stammered as Link fought for his breath. 

“Thank...you” Link cried as he sat up and looked at him. 

Remy messed up the hair Zelda had just fixed before patting him affectionately on the shoulder. 

“Welcome to the family, kid” 

For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile graced Link’s face, coated as it was in tears and snot, swollen still from injury and upset. Despite it all he let himself feel hope, to feel the love that was Zelda as she held him close. The love that was Remy, rearranging his entire life to fit Link in. He’d spent so long trying to find himself in a world that seemed to have no place for him that he had to remind himself that nothing was keeping them there. That he was truly wanted and not just tolerated. They wanted him. He could finally go home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week has been killing me with the stress level. I think I wrote Link basically unconscious for half the chapter because I haven't been able to sleep and I wish I could be the one in a drugged out haze lol 
> 
> I proofread this one a little quickly, so if its choppy in places please forgive me. I just wanted to get it out. There's something so cathartic about posting a chapter after writing it, I don't know what it is. 
> 
> Also, ain't no way social services would rush paperwork, they are notoriously slow. But Remy has that *king* energy if you know what I mean. He made it happen. Time for some brother/sister romance (; Forgive me for that too. It's just a TECHNICALITY.


	17. Chapter 17

After three more days and a multitude of tests, Link was authorized to go home. Remy stood and swirled his pen around in the air as he stared at the words “legal guardian” on the discharge papers. It almost felt surreal. He'd fought for it for days and now it was finally here. He was now responsible for another child. Before leaving, the doctor had explained that his lung function was still not where they wanted it to be and he was on a slurry of antibiotics, mood stabilizers, and pain pills but there was nothing he needed more than the stability beyond the constant in and out of nurses and doctors. He needed a home. He thought about the conversation he’d had with Ms. Leta after finally signing the rest of the papers for Link’s custody while they made last trip out the hospital doors. 

_ “Mr. Hyrule I think it’s important for you to understand the full context of the weight that Link carries with him,” she said, looking at him from across her desk. _

_ “We’ve been in and out of that home countless times. Every time he was only ever a puppet, saying exactly what he was coached to say. Those kinds of parents always think they are so slick, but we always see right through it. You could feel the tension the moment you walked into the room. Link was frightened to even make eye contact with his father but he could never be convinced to say one bad thing about him. Goddess only knows what happened to him after those visits, but we’d get calls from the school explaining he’d be absent for days at a time afterwards” _

_ “They why did you never do anything about it?” he accused as he felt his anger simmering just at the surface. Wasn’t that their job? To protect children like Link? _

_ “Because his family knew the bare minimum they had to accomplish to keep him there” _

_ “But why? If they didn’t want him, why?” he felt his voice breaking, whether from anger or heartache, he couldn't be sure. _

_ She sighed and straightened a stack of papers on her desk as she thought it over.  _

_ “It’s something you and I will never understand. Only his father knows the truth to that. I’m ashamed that our system is the way that it is. If I had it my way, he would have been taken from his home a long time ago. But you have to understand that even that would have been traumatic for him. As outsiders, we can see the ugliness of his parents. But to him, they are all he’s ever known. Please be gentle with him. I think he’s mourning his mother more than he lets on. I worry for his reaction when they find her”  _

_ He sat on her words a long time before signing his name on the last line.  _

_ "He's in your hands now, Mr. Hyrule" _

Link was quiet on the car ride home. He’d insisted on walking out of the hospital, but was visibly exhausted by the time they reached the parking lot. He sat with his forehead flush against the cold interior glass of the backseat of Remy’s vehicle as the blur of the landscape reflected off his eyes. Zelda sat close to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. He had nothing to take with him. His clothes he’d been wearing the day of the incident had been ruined and taken as evidence by the police. He’d been signed over to Remy’s custody with nothing but a pair of scrub pants and a borrowed shirt.  Zelda felt him breath out slowly when they pulled into her driveway. He turned to her and smiled, though his eyes betrayed him. He looked exhausted and pale and she wondered how he even managed to sit up straight. 

“Welcome back home, Link,” Remy smiled at him through the rearview mirror as they exited the vehicle. 

Zelda looped her arm in his and let him set the pace when she insisted on taking him upstairs. He coughed several times and took a moment to catch his breath once they’d reached the top. Zelda stood in front of the door he remembered as being Remy’s office and bounced on the heels of her feet before pushing it open and gesturing for him to enter. 

It looked like an entirely different space from before. In the middle of the room was a large bed, made with what looked to be brand new bedding. The walls were already decorated with numerous objects that were all tailored to his likes and interests. There was a map of old Hyrule with pictographs of the ancient divine beasts outlined in a shimmering gold, posters of various movies he and Zelda had watched together, and numerous prints of cityscapes or landscapes all in a particular style that caught his eye. The closet door was ajar and he could see it was already fully stocked with clothes, all of which still had the price tags dangling from them. It looked so much like the bedroom he’d dreamt about when he was younger. His room at his home was mostly empty. His mattress sat tucked into the corner on the floor with his threadbare blankets strewn across the top. The furniture he had was whatever his father saw for free on the side of the road and most of it he’d had since he was a small child. His wardrobe had consisted of a small rotation of worn t-shirts and sweatshirts and a handful of jeans he was constantly patching the holes in. He almost could not process the fact that this was his space. His things. His house. His family. It was all very overwhelming, especially when he felt like the world around him was spinning.

“Do you like it?” Zelda asked him as she leaned into his side. 

“What about your dad’s office?”

“He said he didn’t like working from home anyway. Something about messing up his vibe. I don’t know. He hired some people to come change it while you were in the hospital”

She tried to read his face, but he’d been oddly blank all day. Nurse Uma had tried to explain to her that he’d started taking some type of medication that would take the edge off his heartache enough to keep him from spilling over. That he’d only needed it for a while until his heart and mind had time to heal and come to terms with what had happened. She didn’t like that it took the light from his eyes or the color from his cheeks. He seemed distant and sad. 

“You okay?” 

“Just...tired,” he said as he looked at the bed. 

“Oh, well we could watch a movie if you want. Dad is going to cook something for dinner and it usually takes him forever”

He nodded and took off his jacket, looking around for a place to hang it. His movements were still slow and careful; the muscles in his abdomen were still healing and any sharp movement caused him a great deal of pain. She took it from him and hung it on a hook on the back of his door. He mouthed an “oh” at her before making his way to the bed and sitting carefully.

“Could I...I think I want to take a shower,” he said slowly, running a hand through his hair. The dry shampoo they’d used at the hospital made him feel powdery and gross. He wanted to wash off the memory of it all before tainting his new things. 

“This is your house now too, you know,” she sat on the bed beside him, leaning on his arm, “you don’t have to ask permission”

“Oh...yeah”

He made his way to the bathroom and carefully unpeeled the bandages around his chest. He stood in the shower and let the hot water scald his skin, closing his eyes to let the torrent hit his face. He had slowly started to remember, but the pieces were so segmented and blurry he had a hard time making sense of it all. He let out a slow breath and willed himself to remember despite the fog. His father had shoved him. There had been yelling. Then there was only the cold floor of the kitchen, the copper smell of blood. But where had his mother been? Had he hurt her too? Why couldn’t they find her? He threw his head back and groaned before opening his eyes and starting to  carefully wash the sweat and the last of the hospital smell off his skin. His entire abdomen felt bruised and he cringed as he felt along the internal suturing of the gashes he knew his father had caused. Someone, he felt oddly at peace as he watched the steam rise off his reddened skin, feeling as the hot water made little rivers down his legs. He stayed until he feared he would fall asleep standing up. The last thing he wanted was for Zelda to have to rescue him naked from the floor of the shower. The thought made him smile weakly as he dried himself off with a towel, realizing the complicated situation he’d put himself in. He hadn't thought to bring any clothes with him. 

He wrapped the towel around himself to cover as much as possible before reentering his room. Zelda was on her stomach on his bed, using a remote to flip through channels. She turned and froze when she saw him, still steaming from the temperature change, his bruised and bare chest gleaming at her. Her face immediately reddened and fell into the blankets, her body heaving from laughter. 

“Put some clothes on!” she giggled as she pointed to his closet. 

He apologized with every step and she continued to giggle as she promised not to look while he opened the door. He found a pair of black sweats and tugged them on. He hesitated before throwing the sweater over his head as he looked down at himself. 

“Hey Zelda…” he said slowly, watching the way the stab wounds drifted up and down his ribcage with each breath, “Can you...uh...what do I do with these?”

She looked up and blanched. His skin was still in various stages of healing, peppered with bruises and redness both from his injuries and the consequent surgeries. He had three prominent holes on him, two from the knife and one smaller incision from where they’d placed his chest tube at the hospital. She knew his wounds still needed to be cleaned to avoid infection. Nurse Uma had given her the complete run down as she nearly wept over him being discharged so she knew exactly what to do. She motioned for him to sit on the bed and ran downstairs to retrieve the bag of medical supplies he’d been sent home with. He sat dutifully as she patched him back up, finishing with a quick kiss to his collarbone before she let her forehead fall on his chest. 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, “I should have been there with you"

He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. 

“It’s not your fault”

“I should have grabbed you and ran. We could have ran away together, Dad would have found out and helped us. I should have never let you go”

He ran his hand through her hair and laid his head on top of hers, focusing on his breathing. For once, it was his turn to comfort her. 

“It doesn’t matter now,” he said softly, “It’s over”

“But it does matter! _You_ matter!” she cried into him, feeling the warmth of his bare skin against her cheek. Had he been cold when he died on the operating table? Was someone there to hold his hand? Did his blood spill on the floor? She could see his still face as he lay there helpless and open and all alone. Why hadn’t she been there?

“Not to them,” he replied, letting his eyes become unfocused as his mind went back there. He knew they’d left them. That much was clear to him. No matter what state they were in, they chose to leave him there, knowing the likely outcome it would bring. Some part of him prayed his mother was just too injured or sick to help him. The possibility that she willingly turned a blind eye to his dying breaths was too much for him to handle. The pain of that thought was nearly worse than the searing of the knife as it sliced him open. When he closed his eyes, he could still see her as she’d been when he was younger. She’d creak open his door and bring him dinner when he'd been sent off to bed without eating or she’d crawl into bed with him and sing him to sleep when his father worked nights and they were left to themselves until morning. But had she never really loved him at all? He felt himself start to cry along with Zelda, their tears like different tones of heartache that harmonized into a single song they made together as they wept. Eventually she helped him into his sweater and they settled back into his bed. She curled into his side and ran a hand back and forth on his chest as he played with her hair. They stayed that way a while, mindlessly watching the movie she’d left the TV on when he entered the room.

“So...are you like...my sister now?” he finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. 

“Link, I swear to every Goddess I will stab you a third time if you make an incest joke," her voice was flat, her hand stopping its movements on his chest.

He let out a belly laugh and winced as his stomach contracted around his puncture wounds. She grinned into him, relishing the sound of it. She'd waited so long to hear it again.

“But you can make stabbing jokes?! I’m literally still healing,” he laughed as he shifted, letting the pain make its course across his body. 

“I know how to take care of you now, you’d survive,” she said as she sat up and smiled at him. He returned it, much more genuinely than he had earlier in the day, but it slowly started to fade. 

“I think...I might have had a sister once,” he said quietly once they’d settled back down. 

Zelda went completely still as he talked. His words were slow and deliberate. He’d never spoken about his home life before, not in complete sentences. It was always just nods or hand gestures or vague references. He had been so timid around the subject, as if anything he said might frighten her away. But now, his voice was even and almost devoid of emotion. 

“I was really little, but I remember mom telling me about it. She was even showing, I think. But then one day they just left me at home. I was home alone for a long time. I don’t think I was even in school yet, so what was I, like 5? I don’t know. I remember eating a bunch of cereal and crying because I couldn't figure out how to turn the TV on. But when they came back they just stopped talking about it. He would um...that was when I started getting...he’d hit me if I asked about it afterwards”

She snuggled into him and squeezed him lightly, careful not to hurt him. 

“You don’t have to talk about it, Link. You don’t have to tell me anything”

“But I want to talk about it,” he continued, “I never...they didn’t talk to me a whole lot. A lot of times they just completely ignored that I was even there. I talked to myself sometimes. Or I’d draw little people and talk to them. It was really lonely. Zelda, I don’t know how I’m not a serial killer or something. I had no idea that other people didn't live like that until I started school and other kids would talk about their families”

He didn’t understand how the words were coming so easily to him now. Whether it was the medication or her proximity, he didn’t know. But it didn’t hurt to speak of it anymore. He felt lightened to finally release it from his mind. For so long, he'd carried around the burden that was his existence, apologizing for every breath he took. Now he felt almost liberated, as if he had been a captive in his own life and was now free. 

“Are you sure you're not a serial killer?” she asked, with as much sincerity as she could muster up, always reverting back to humor to get her through uncomfortable situations, "Are you just being nice to me now so it's easier to sneak up on me later?" 

Both of them fell silent for a short minute, making Zelda almost implode from the stress of it before he giggled. She let out her breath she'd held and grinned into him, finally feeling full again. Despite everything they were back together and mostly intact, save for a few holes in Link. It felt good to ease back into their familiarity with each other where they could be silly and poke fun at each other. It was something she'd so desperately missed while he had been in the hospital. He'd been so aloof and so distant for so long that she feared she had lost him after all. But now she could see him making his way back to her and it warmed her like a hearth from the inside. 

“I'm not the one that was trying to build a murderous robot with a functioning laser. Maybe you should ask yourself that question,” he laughed as he felt his eyes starting to drift closed. 

“You’ll have to help me make a new one,” she giggled, feeling him already breathing deeply, "my old one is locked in the garage in different pieces"

She waited on him to respond and when he didn't she sat up and saw him fast asleep, one hand still threaded into her hair, the ghost of a smile still on his face. She kissed him on the cheek and slowly crawled out of bed, making sure to cover him up before walking downstairs.   


* * *

Remy was busy stirring a pot of noodles, humming to himself as music played over a speaker in the kitchen. She threw a pot holder at him to get his attention and he smiled at her as he started stirring the sauce. 

“How is he?” 

“Asleep,” she replied as she sat down at the island to watch him. 

“Ah, well, see if you can get him to walk around with you out back or something in an hour or two. Doctor said he needs to get some steps in”

“He’s not a dog, Dad,” she laughed as she leaned her head on her hand. 

He turned to face her, bracing his back on the counter behind him. He studied her as she studied him right back. He knew that Link had looked worse for wear when they got home, but she looked tired too. He knew she hadn’t been sleeping well despite his best attempts to force her out of that hospital chair she'd glued herself to. Even when he did manage to force her back home, she had jumped every time the phone rang, fearing it was the hospital calling to tell them he’d slipped away when she wasn’t there. He was glad to finally see her relaxed again, even with the dark circles under her eyes. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she broke him out of his thoughts as she tilted her head. 

He sighed in contentment and sent her a crooked smile. 

“It’s just been you and me for so long," he breathed out.

“Daaaaad,” she rolled her eyes playfully as she crossed her arms on the counter so she could lay her head down. She briefly contemplated running upstairs and napping with Link until Remy cocked his head to the side and started chewing on his cheek, his emotions flashing crossed his face. He was never good at keeping anything from her. She could always read him. 

“Thank you, Dad,” she said as she watched him, “I know not everyone’s dad would do what you did”

He smiled so genuinely at her that she found herself hiding in the crook of her elbow. 

“Yeah, well he’s a sweet kid” 

“Yeah he is,” she said, perhaps a little too lovingly. 

“When were you gonna tell me you love him?” he grinned at her, happy to break himself out of his spiraling for a chance to tease her. 

“DAD!”

He raised both his brows as he watched her squirm in her seat. Link wasn’t the first boy she’d brought home, but he was the first one he could tell she truly loved. The others had been acquaintances that were fun to label as “boyfriends” until she got bored of them. She never clung to them like she did to him. He had watched them at the hospital. How they seemed to communicate without even speaking to each other. How Link looked for her when she wasn’t in the room. How they were constantly reaching out to one another. It reminded him of his own wife. 

“I mean...yeah. I do. I don’t know how I know. But...I just know...you know?” She felt like a little girl again, divulging all her secrets to him like other girls did with their friends. He’d always been her best friend. Now she had another best friend, but he hadn’t taken her father’s place in her heart. He’d only carved out a new space for himself that made her feel whole when she hadn’t even known she was empty to begin with. 

“I know,” he smiled at her knowingly before sighing again and turning to stir the sauce that had been threatening to boil over. 

“Well, go wake up Prince Charming and tell him that dinner is done. I don’t think I’ve seen him eat in three days. I can’t have him getting sick on me”

“Oh, so he’s your favorite child now?” she baited him as she rose from her barstool, a mischievous look on her face. 

“I just bullied an entire government agency into becoming his guardian,” he shook his wooden ladle at her before smirking at her, “All I had to do to get you is have one good night”

“OH MY GODS,” she groaned as she turned her back on him, “I’m never talking to you again!” 

“Be back down in five minutes and I’ll have garlic bread!” he called as she rounded the corner to the stairs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think we're all friends here and I can overshare a little. There's a certain biological event that occurs on a frequent basis in my life that occasionally just really, really messes with my emotional stability. That time occurred this week and I did my level best just to survive work. I may or may not have cried over a phonics lesson plan. That, on top of being a very introverted person living in a very social work environment made for a very sad writer. I ended up overspending at Target as my self prescribed therapy. 
> 
> I'm a fragile thing, please don't judge me. This isn't my favorite chapter, but I've tired of staring at it. I'm hoping I'm just being hard on myself you still appreciate the update even though it's like 1 in the morning. On a lighter note, a coworker asked me to write a letter to send home with our students and she was like, "How do you write stuff like that? You sound like an author" and I was like "LOL I DON'T KNOW I DON'T WRITE FANFICTION WHO ME? NO. MY PHONE IS RINGING GOODBYE" 
> 
> Guys, I'm an awkward mess.


	18. Chapter 18

_ She opened the door to his room slowly after undoing the small metal bar that was attached to the frame. She had tried to fight him on the sliding lock that was screwed into the top, but he’d won out in the end. He said it was for her sanity. There was nowhere he could go, he’d said. He’d be safe in there and away from her so she could rest. So he stayed in there for hours at a time. Sometimes she heard him crying or singing or talking to himself. Other times he was silent. Right then he was talking. But to who? She’d woken earlier to find the house empty. Cyril had left her a plate of breakfast that had long gone cold and Link was nowhere to be found. His little shoes sat abandoned at the front door. Was he really so small? Her mind felt blissfully empty and her heart called her to the small voice drifting from under the crack in his door.  _

_ He was still wearing the pajamas she’d put him in days prior with the too long sleeves that were fraying and dirtied at the edges. He had a paper doll in his hand he was making talk so that he could reply. He was playing, she thought. It made her smile. He turned abruptly and nearly toppled over as his mind moved faster than his uncoordinated body in his desperate dash towards her. One of his eyes was still black from where he’d fallen down the front porch steps. Cyril had told her it was an accident, that he was always falling. But Link had cried and hid away from him for hours after. He’d never tell on his father, but he didn’t have to. She always knew.  _

_ When he reached her, his movements were hungry. He cried as he laughed and tried to climb her like one might climb a tree. She was puzzled on how he seemed so excited yet so upset at the same time. His eyes were puffy and red like he’d just finished crying before she’d entered his room, but his smile was sweet and so genuine it made her teeth ache. He was a contradiction. It made her feel light-headed.  _

_ “Mommy!” he cried over and over, “Mommy you’re here!”  _

_ He held onto her as he caught his breath. He never did anything slightly. Everything he did was to the extreme. When he cried, he sobbed. When he was happy, his laughter filled the whole house. When he was sad, he was silent as a tombstone. She never knew what to do with him and so she let his father handle him most days. Which meant she went long stretches of time without seeing him at all.  _

_ “Am I in trouble?” he asked, peering behind her. She knew what he was looking for, but it wasn’t there. They were alone.  _

_ “No, baby. I just wanted to see you”  _

_ His eyes grew so large she thought she could swim in them if he gave her the chance. He buried his face into her and tucked his legs up close to her body so that there was no space left in between them. He must have been in there alone for a long time. His father was always doing that to him. He told her it would build character and she had no reason to question it. She barely cared for herself most days and her medication made her so foggy. He was safe in his room when she couldn’t watch him. That was how she justified it to herself. That was what Cyril had said. No one could hurt him there.  _

_ “Mommy you wanna play with me?” he sniffled as he wiped his face on his sleeve. He was filthy. He was always filthy. When was the last time she gave him a bath? _

_ “I got a very big city and all my friends are going to a birthday party!” he gestured his hands out wide. The dark circles under his eyes were so heavy, but the happiness on his face was infectious. She caught herself smiling too. She walked around and looked at what he’d made. He’d used various scraps of papers, envelopes, and trash from around their house to build his little city. The drawings on them were so detailed. Some had windows with little flowers, others had curtains with polka dots or other designs. He’d made animals and people too, each one lovingly crafted with its own personality. It was a wonder he’d created something so meticulous. The doors even had wreaths and door knobs. She could tell he’d worked on it a long time. _

_ “Whose birthday is it?” she indulged him.  _

_ “Mine,” he blushed, suddenly shy.  _

_ She thought about his most recent birthday. She’d attempted to stop taking her medication in advance, praying she’d be lucid enough to allow him to enjoy it. They’d made a cake together, but he’d accidentally dropped the rest of the eggs and they scattered all across the floor. He’d been sent to his room crying before it even made it to the oven. He hadn’t meant to drop anything, he’d just been so excited that he couldn't stop his body from wiggling and jumping. He had a difficult time regulating himself. He seemed overwhelmed by his own emotions most days; his young mind unable to tell him what to do with them. She'd certainly never taught him. She didn't even know what to do with herself. He did the best he could with what he had, which was very little and also never enough to keep him from the ire of his father.  _

_ But he was completely still when she saw him later curled into his blankets. She had wanted to wake him so he could taste his cake, but he was fast asleep, curled around the stuffed dog she’d given him the year before, still shuddering from his earlier upset. She could see the same stuffed animal peeking from the covers as he showed her the school he had made. He must have still slept with it. She assumed he would have lost it by then.  _

_ “Oh, I see,” she replied, “Who are all these people you’ve made?” _

_ “That’s all my friends” he smiled, but it cut her deeply. He didn’t realize the truth in his words. He’d been talking to ghosts for years now, making something from nothing just to keep his mind occupied.  _

_ He ended up snuggled into her lap as he explained the last of his drawings. He was mid-sentence when he fell quiet and his head lolled harder into her chest. She caught it before it could roll into an uncomfortable position and just held him. There was so much to love about him. He was so cuddly and so sweet when he wanted to be. He was imaginative and intelligent and perceptive too. Even as little as he was, he had learned to read his father’s moods, steering clear of him on days he was particularly combustible. But he could never quite read her. He was always just a little too much with his affection, sending her anxiety into overdrive as he pulled from her already depleted reserves. She hated herself for not being able to be the mother she knew he deserved. But she was just so tired and he made the world spin so fast she couldn’t keep up.  _

_ “I love you, Mommy,” he whispered. She thought he’d been asleep.  _

_ She opened her mouth to form the words but something had stolen her voice. She cleared her throat and patted him on the back instead. She could feel the pressure of guilt shoving her heart up against her ribcage. Why couldn’t she say it back? Why hadn’t she found that unconditional love for him they said would come so naturally? Why was it so hard when he found it so easy? He even still loved his father, as appalling as he treated him. She'd catch him drawing him pictures or bringing him something to drink, even when it resulted in a slew of curses or a shove in the opposite direction. He seemed to her a test from the Goddesses that they'd both failed.  _

_ “I know you do,” was all she said. She could feel him smile against her and it was like a gun shot straight through her chest. She sat there bleeding as his breathing deepened and his hold on her shirt started to relax.  _

_ When his father came home, she left him again. He had tucked a little drawing in her hand as she sat him on his bed. When she looked back one final time, he was rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. Was he crying or just sleepy? She didn’t stay long enough to find out.  _

_ She sat on the edge of her own bed some time later and looked at her fist before slowly opening it. It was a drawing of a mother and son. They were holding hands. Both of their eyes were blue. _

* * *

“Is your microphone muted?”

“Yeah”

“I think Mrs. Blossom is even worse in this format. I want to throw my slate into the street and she’s not even here”

He side eyed her as he struggled to follow along with the lesson she’d uploaded. Although there was nothing keeping Zelda from going to school, she had begged to stay home with him. He had told Remy that he could go back to school too, even though he knew there was no way he’d make it through a whole day. He still got winded just walking down the stairs. He was grateful his suggestion was laughed at and they were both staying online until after winter break. Remy had also chosen to work from home and was constantly dodging calls from the office, claiming it was more important that he stay close to Link in case he needed medical attention, unwilling to put that responsibility solely on Zelda. They’d sent him home with oxygen, but he hadn’t used it. As long as he stayed relatively still and calm he was okay, but it didn’t stop Remy or Zelda from fussing over him. He pretended to be bothered by it, but deep down he was touched by their concern. 

Although he tried his best to focus, the numbers on the screen may as well have been in another language. He zoned in and out, his vision blurring and her words melting into white noise before Zelda poked him in the shoulder. 

“What number are you on?” 

He looked down at his paper. He hadn’t even written anything. 

“Link!”

“Oh” 

She huffed and paused his screen so she could properly scold him. 

“If you don’t pass this class, we won’t get to graduate together!”

He looked down at the pen in his hand. It had leaked onto the edge of his fingers. He smeared it absentmindedly. 

“It doesn’t matter” 

“Yes it does! What is wrong with you?” she argued as he kept his gaze down, “Aren’t you wanting to go to college? If you don’t graduate on time it’ll be hard for you to get in anywhere and I want us to go together. No way I’m moving off somewhere and leaving you”

He hadn’t thought about college. He’d always assumed it was one of those things meant for everyone else and not for him. His life had been so focused on day-to-day survival that his future was as blank to him as an empty sketchbook, purchased with all intentions of starting the hobby but ending up discarded under someone’s bed. His father had constantly told him he wasn’t smart enough to enroll, nor did he have the money to pay for it. He just assumed he’d find a menial job at a place that didn’t mind if he couldn’t complete calculus equations or find the main idea in a section of prose. Somewhere he could just blend into the background and not draw attention to his own incompetence. 

“Link?” 

“Huh?”

She was watching him intently when he blinked the focus back into his eyes. Her face was scrunched up in concern as she leaned towards him. 

“What’s wrong? You just stopped talking”

He rubbed his face with his hands, pressing into his eyes until he found his own little galaxy there. He watched the shooting flashes of colors until he felt a large hand on his back. He arched away instinctively and it left just as soon as it came. 

“Hey, sorry,” Remy said, holding his hand awkwardly at his side, “I was just checking to see how distance learning was going for you. Mr. Agus was pumped about getting to try it out” 

Zelda tilted her head so that he could see Link’s paper. He’d written the date and scribbled into the margins, but his math work was non-existent even though they’d been sitting there for two hours. 

“Ah, I see,” he said, watching as Link shifted awkwardly in his seat, “Zelda, are you done with yours at least?”

“Yeah”

“Then let’s take a break and make lunch. I found a recipe for vegetable soup online and I want to try it out”

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but they softened when she saw Link nod and close the borrowed slate Remy had brought home from the office. Perhaps it was just too soon. 

They made their way into the kitchen and Remy assigned them each a task. Link was measuring out spices while Remy prepared the vegetables and Zelda read the instructions to make sure they didn’t miss anything. Remy turned on some cheerful music and soon Zelda was swaying back and forth as she popped little pieces of uncooked carrots into her mouth. 

“Slow down there, little bunny, we won’t have enough for the soup!” 

Zelda giggled and grabbed another from the cutting board. Remy made a move to stop her and his elbow brushed against the knife, which fell and clattered against the floor. 

“Now look what you did!” Remy laughed as he bent down to retrieve it, but both of them froze when Link gasped. 

His face drained of color as he desperately pulled at his sweatshirt. Sweat started rolling off his forehead and he started panting, ripping the fabric around his neck. When Remy moved to help him, he pushed off of him hard and ended up colliding with the counter behind him. He slid to the floor and started gasping for breath as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. 

“What happened?” Zelda cried as Remy dropped to his knees before him. 

“Link, look at me,” he snapped his fingers in front of his face, “Look at me!”

But he wasn’t there. He was at home. He had his father pinned against the wall. His eyes were two dark orbs in the infinite blackness of space. His mother’s screams pierced his eardrums and his hands flew to cover them before the pieces rattled from his head and scattered across the floor. Was she screaming from pain? What was she saying? 

_ “Link!”  _

Someone was crying, but his head was spinning. He couldn’t get a breath. Something was sitting on his chest. There was something inside his chest. It was hot, it was searing, it was burning him from the inside. He thought his skin might be smoking. 

_ “We have to help him!”  _

Her voice was underwater. He was drowning. Something covered his face and the fight left his body. His hands were cold, but his cheeks were hot. Tears got cold faster than blood. The blood had stayed warm longer. He could taste it on his tongue. Like a mouthful of coins. He was going to choke on them. They were going to pull him down to the bottom and keep him there. 

He gasped again and felt as his lungs opened back up. He sat and breathed in and out, in and out, until his heart had ceased its assault against his ribs. Slowly, he opened his swollen eyes and both Remy and Zelda let out a sigh of relief. 

“I…” he started coughing and Remy shook his head to shush him, replacing what he noticed to be a full oxygen mask in his hand with a tube similar to the one he had in the hospital. The tank it was attached to lay on its side on the floor as if it had been dragged in a panic. He carefully wrapped the line around Link’s head and settled the two thin tubes into his nose. 

“Just breath for a little bit,” Remy instructed, “Your lips were turning blue” 

He nodded as he continued coughing. Zelda scooted across the floor and pulled his hand into her lap, leaning up against him so he could feel her body heat. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, focusing on the way she fit into him. They stayed with him until he opened his eyes again, this time with a much clearer view. He found the knife still discarded on the floor and stared at it. Remy followed his line of vision and sat back on his feet as he realized what had happened. 

“Of course…” Remy mumbled as he moved to put it back on the counter so it was out of sight. 

“I...I hit him,” Link rasped as Zelda squeezed his hand, “I hit my dad”

“Good,” Remy said firmly and without hesitation, keeping eye contact with him as the color returned to his cheeks, “I hope you hit him hard”

“I...pinned him to...the wall,” he sucked in a hard breath and felt his lungs burning.

“Even better”

Link looked at him confused as he choked on his next words. 

“Am I...going to be in...trouble?”

Remy fixed the oxygen line that had slipped out of one side of his nose before wiping the sweat off of his own brow with the back of his hand. 

“Absolutely not. But I will be if you stop breathing. Let’s get you to the couch. You’ve spent enough time laying on kitchen floors for my taste” 

He wrapped Link’s arm around his neck and Zelda did the same on the other side, though her effort was more for show. He appreciated her presence all the same. They staggered together to the living room and Remy lay him down on the soft cushions, rechecking to make sure his oxygen line was still secured. 

“Like old times, huh?” Remy said as he motioned for Zelda to get a blanket. She covered him and fixed his bangs that had fallen into his eyes as she sat beside him. 

“I’m...okay,” he tried to reassure her, though the rasp in his voice did little to support his claim. 

“I’m going to call the doctor and make sure we don’t need to take you in. Zelda, will you-” he caught himself as he watched her snuggle up beside him, laying his head in her lap as she propped her feet up on the end table without even looking at him. 

“I was going to say will you keep an eye on him,” he mused to himself as he walked back into the kitchen to grab his slate, noticing a series of missed calls from the police department. He froze mid-step and pulled up the voicemail, turning the volume down in case it could be heard over the music still playing from the kitchen. 

“ _ Mr. Hyrule we were calling to inform you that Cyril and Mara Faron were apprehended this evening. Mr. Faron has been placed into police custody and Mrs. Faron is currently being held in protective custody awaiting interrogation There is new information regarding this case that you will want to be made aware of. If Link is able, we would like for him to come to the station to be interviewed again and we can talk to you at that time. Please give us a call back at-” _

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He peeked back around the corner to see Zelda flipping through channels while Link dozed in and out on her lap. Every few seconds she would lay her hand flat on his chest, no doubt checking for the rhythm of his breathing. He could smell the vegetables nearly boiling over in the kitchen as his slate rang again. This time it was social services. 

“ _ Mr. Hyrule?” _

“What happens next?” he asked forcefully as he removed the now scalded soup from the burner. 

“ _ She’s not being charged and she’s asking to see him. I don’t have any more information than you do” _

“How is she not being charged?” he whispered angrily into the phone as he turned to make sure they hadn’t heard him. He heard the soft sound of voices from the TV and stopped his movements so he could focus. 

“ _ They will cut her a deal if she cooperates to testify against him. She should have at least been charged with fleeing the scene, even if she wasn’t the attacker. That’s the only thing I can think of. I strongly advise against taking him up there” _

_ “ _ No shit. He just had a panic attack because I dropped a knife while cooking dinner. I was about to call the hospital. I hate to think of what just seeing her would do to him”

The line went oddly quiet as he kept his vision razor focused on the doorway to the kitchen, ready to throw his slate across the room if either of them walked through it. 

_ “Mr. Hyrule, you are his guardian right now. You are the only one who is able to fight for him, even if it means saving him from himself. If you give him the choice, I’m afraid he would take it” _

“Can you call off the police? Or are they going to show up here? I’m going to have a hard time keeping this from him if they knock on the door,” he asked as he pinched his nose again. 

“ _ I’ll do my best. I’ll have his doctor’s put in a word too. But if they need his testimony for evidence they aren’t going to wait long” _

“They will have to get over it,” he said forcefully as he shoved the pot of ruined soup to the back of the stove with a grunt, “Is that all? I have two hungry teenagers to feed and a pot of ruined soup to deal with”

“ _ Take care, Mr. Hyrule. I’ll call as soon as I get more details” _

He hung up and slid his slate across the counter, putting as much distance between it and himself as possible. He walked back into the living room and Zelda followed him with her eyes as he made his way to the recliner, falling down hard and raising the leg bar so he could lay back and close his eyes in frustration. 

“Who were you talking to?” she asked as he tried to act casual. Link was lightly asleep on her lap, the oxygen line slowly pumping him back to life. He occasionally shifted or groaned, but a hand on his chest settled him back down.

“Impa”

“You’re lying,” she glared at him and he looked away. 

He turned to eye her, pleading silently with her to not make him have to say what she had already figured out. That something had changed. 

“Let’s at least eat dinner first,” he tried, hoping she could read between the lines, “and I’ll talk to you both later” 

“Do I get to pick?”

“Well he doesn’t seem to have an opinion right now, so sure” 

They were quiet as she used her slate to order delivery, choosing something she knew Link liked so he could be surprised when he woke up. 

“Hey Dad?” she asked carefully as she laid her slate down beside his head.

He turned to look at her. 

“Is everything okay?”

He let out a long breath and covered his eyes with an arm thrown across his face. 

“I’m going to make it that way, I promise”

She tried her best to believe him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm obsessed with flashbacks, but also I think it's important to understand why Link feels the way he does about his mom. Working in the field I do (and with some personal experience with family) its incredible to me the amount of love a child will have for a parent that doesn't really reciprocate at all, or very little when they do. When that's your only lifeline, you hold on kind of fiercely. 
> 
> Here's where my writing and reality may get a little mixed up. If I kind of screw up a law or police practice lets just chalk it up to cultural differences. This is Hyrule, after all.
> 
> Also, let’s all LOL at the distance learning. I was like “why not”


	19. Chapter 19

“So Link, tell me about your relationship with your mother. What are some good memories you have of her?” the therapist tried again after letting the silence between them sit for an uncomfortable amount of time. 

Link pulled his knees up on the couch and continued to sketch in his new book, refusing to answer the man despite this being his fourth attempt at making conversation. He’d woken up one morning to a small bundle of drawing supplies sitting on his desk along with an apology note explaining he’d been prescribed weekly therapy after his panic attack. He had a brand new pack of pencils in different weights and thicknesses, along with kneaded erasers and a various array of colored pencils, oil pastels, and watercolor pens. He'd found he was capable of so much more when he had more than just old pens or pencils to work with. It more than made up for the awkward time he had to spend in that stuffy office with Remy waiting impatiently outside. He didn’t see the point in speaking about himself to someone who didn’t care about him. If he wanted to talk about it, he would talk to Zelda. When he talked to her, she took it directly to heart. This man just made notes like he was a machine to be studied and fixed. He knew he was broken. He didn't need someone else to verify it. So he drew and let his mind wander. It was therapy enough. He was adding detail to Remy’s coat in his drawing when the therapist sighed and shut his own book that had sat in his lap.

“Well...that’s our time for today. I do wish you would talk to me. I know it isn’t your choice to be here but you might as well make the best of it”

“May I go now?” Link asked politely as he packed his things carefully into his new backpack. Everything was so new. It was like learning how to be a person again. 

“You may”

He met Remy outside with a shy smile as he held onto the straps of his bag. Remy looked expectantly at the therapist who simply shrugged and mimicked the action of drawing. Remy flattened his mouth and sighed.

“Well, I suppose we will see you next week then,” Remy offered as a goodbye.

“See if you can talk to him about actually using his time effectively. I can’t help him if he won’t speak to me”

“Who is to say he isn’t using his time effectively?” Remy retorted as they walked out the door. He didn’t wait for a reply, choosing simply to follow Link into the parking lot. He’d forced Zelda into spending the afternoon at work, claiming she needed to leave the house for a while before she found a way to accidently burn it down. She’d protested until he explained that she would get to offer opinions on the winter update design for the slate. After crushing Link in an embrace that lasted entirely too long for the amount of time they would spend apart, she drove off in her own car. 

“I’d like to see what you were working on, if you don’t mind sharing,” Remy said as they both entered the car. 

Link froze before nodding slightly and reaching into his backpack to pull out his sketchbook. He flipped quickly through the pages, offering a glimpse into his mind. Some of the pages appeared to be still lifes of objects around the house, others were dark, their subjects harder to decipher. He finally settled on his latest page and timidly handed it over. It was a drawing of Zelda and Remy in their kitchen, with Remy leaning back on the counter with his arms crossed across his chest and a smirk across his face. Of course the most detailed portion of the drawing was Zelda, who had her head tilted as she grinned right back at him. He’d managed to capture the sparkle in her eye as she listened to what was probably a bad joke. Even her hair appeared to have a texture, curling in little ringlets around her ears. It was like a memory come to life. Remy stared at it so long that Link started to worry that he’d done something wrong. 

“Link...I love this,” Remy breathed out as he studied it, “you have an amazing talent”

“Oh...I just-”

“No, no. Don’t explain it away. You do. Not everyone can draw like this,” Remy stopped him before he could apologize yet again simply for existing. He’d been doing that a lot. Zelda had told him that he never said anything kind about himself and that it drove her crazy. He smiled realizing just how observant of him she really was. 

“I know I asked you to draw a logo for me a long time ago, but I think I have something better for you, if you’d like to take on a challenge....how are you with paint?”

Link floundered a moment before answering. 

“I like paint” 

Remy flashed him a winning grin as he bucked his seatbelt. 

“Then I have a job for you, son. Let’s go to the office. If you’re not too tired?”

Link smiled softly back at him and shook his head. He wanted to see Zelda again anyway. He was almost embarrassed at how much he missed her when she wasn’t around. He felt calmer near her, like just being in her proximity smoothed out his rougher edges, like the air was easier to breath. He leaned his head against the window and listened to the wind whistle across the metal of the door on the outside all the way to the office. 

When they arrived, Zelda nearly knocked him over. 

“I missed you!” she squealed as they spun around. She pulled the hood of his sweater off his head and started rearranging his hair, swirling the longer pieces near his ears so that they curled. He’d mentioned that he needed a haircut, but Zelda had persuaded him to keep it longer.  _ It makes you look more handsome,  _ she’d said. She hadn’t had to say anymore. 

“It’s been exactly three hours, my darling,” Remy teased as he looked around the space, his eyes settling on the blank wall just outside his office. Impa had explained the appeal of muted colors and empty space to him during the design of their building, but it did nothing to inspire him. It made him feel like he was in a hospital and the thought was so unappealing to him now that he’d considered throwing a can of paint at it himself. 

“Link, my boy, this is your new canvas,” he explained as he stretched out his arms. 

Zelda’s eyes went wide as she looked between them, lost to what he was referencing. 

“I want to see your beautiful artwork everyday when I come to work. If you could design something from history, I would love to see it. Maybe a depiction of the last Queen or the Hero of the Wild and his Princess and the sacred blade, or Hylia, or the Divine Beasts, or King Sidon spearing a Yiga with a banana. I don’t know. I know you’re a man of history yourself, I trust your judgement. Whatever you need, just let me know and I’ll get it for you. It’s winter break now and we all need to get out of the house, I think. Plus, it might be a little more beneficial than Dr. Stick Up His Ass, if you know what I mean” 

Link stared in amazement at the giant space before him. I would take him days to cover such a space and everyone would see him working. He thought it should terrify him but it didn’t. He nodded eagerly and turned to Zelda whose face lit up at his excitement. 

“Can I help you design it?!” she nearly jumped up and down. 

“Don’t you have a new rune to look over?” Remy reminded her, making her groan, “This is his project. Let him be in control” 

Link hugged his sketchbook to his chest and nodded a thank you to him. As much as he loved Zelda, the idea of creating something entirely of his own making was so appealing and for once, he wanted to indulge in something that made him happy. 

“I can start sketching it out, if you want,” he offered. 

“Excellent! I’ve got some things to work on in my office and so does Zelda. I’ll leave you to it!” 

Link settled into a lounge chair in the corner of the room and let his mind go blank as he drew. He didn’t think about his mother, or the dull pain that was still just under the left side of his ribs. He didn’t think about hospitals or therapy or school. He didn’t think about the phone calls Remy quickly swiped away when he thought no one was looking or the sympathetic glances he’d earned afterwards either. He only thought about the triforce. Courage, Wisdom, Power. He thought of Hylia and her love for her people that was so strong that she gave up everything just to live among them. He thought about the courage of the fallen hero, who found himself again after 100 years of being stitched back together. He saw himself in the rough sketches of the hero, holding the sacred blade high as a divine light illuminated him from behind. Would it take him 100 years as well? Or did he have that long left?

A week later, he was wearing white coveralls and outlining the jagged edges of Vah Rudania. It was his last divine beast. In the end, he’d settled on a map of old Hyrule, with the castle nestled in the center, marked by the Master Sword encompassed in a vine of silent princesses. On the corners, he illustrated the divine beasts in their former glory. More than once Remy had come out just to stand in awe and watch him work, but Link never noticed. He lost himself completely in the process, only stopping when holding up his left arm became a chore and he started becoming short of breath. He was wondering how long the Shrine of Resurrection would take to heal a single lung when he heard someone calling to him from across the open space. 

“Mr. Faron! We’d like a word with you”

He stopped and closed his eyes, letting the thick paint drip down onto the drop cloth below. He was too far away to hear the sound, but he pictured it all the same. 

“My name is Officer Bazz from the Bosphoramus Police Department. We wanted to talk to you about your father”

He let out a long breath but didn’t turn around. He wondered if he stood completely still if they would think he was part of the painting. 

“Mr. Faron?”

“Can I help you?” he heard Remy’s voice booming from across the hall as he charged out of his office, “Who let you in here?”

“You must be Mr. Hyrule. If we may, we’d like to speak with Link here at the station”

“No,” Remy answered with an air of finality that left both of the officers a little stunned, “You may leave now”

“Mr. Faron we have your mother in our custody and she’s cooperating in an effort to get your father to plead guilty to the charge of attempted murder on your behalf. She’s only asked for an audience with you in return. If you’d come down to the station with us it will be a quick ordeal and you can resume your work here”

Link turned slowly, his hands shaking as he closed his can of paint. A small audience of people had gathered to watch the scene. Zelda tumbled away from her desk and flew to his side and he turned instinctively into her. He felt his breathing quicken as his panic started to rise in the back of his throat as his eyes desperately jolted all around the room. The officers were staring him down expectantly and he felt so small under their gaze he wondered how they even still noticed him standing there. Then, through the fog of fear that was quickly filling his mind to the brim, he let his vision settle on the beacon of safety in the room, the person he trusted now more than anything to protect him. He met eyes with Remy as he kept a vice grip on Zelda’s hand. 

Remy held his stare and heard the words he could not say.  _ Help me.  _ His heart stuttered in his chest. He’d grown so fond of the boy already, but the surge of affection he felt in that moment was unmatched. After a lifetime of abuse of neglect, a nearly fatal encounter with the man who he should have been looking towards in that moment, it was  _ him  _ that Link had chosen to look for. He didn’t know what he’d done to earn that level of trust, but he wasn’t about to lose it. 

“Give him some space,” he rounded on the officers as they inched towards where Link and Zelda stood. 

“It will only take a short amount of-”

“I said give him some space!” his voice left no room for questioning and even the men who were packing firearms backed up at the sound of it. 

Remy crossed the room in only a few steps and huddled together with them as Link tried to even out his breathing. Zelda put a hand to his chest and felt as his heart tried to reach out and touch her back. She thought it must be so tired by now. 

“It’s your choice. You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for”

Link nodded as he closed his eyes and focused on the beating of Zelda’s heart in his hand as he squeezed her. 

“I don’t know,” he whispered, “I don’t know what to do”

Remy nodded and turned to address the officers. 

“He’s not ready today. She will have to wait. If you need me, call. But don’t come back here. I will bring him to you when he tells me he’s ready and not a minute sooner”

“Mr. Hyrule, we need his testimony”

“I understand that. But it won't be today”

The officers nodded and took the business card Remy pulled from his back pocket. They headed out of the office defeated as Remy turned back and included himself in the embrace Link and Zelda were sharing. He rested his head atop theirs and pulled them both into his arms with room to spare. 

“Thank you,” Link said quietly. 

“Family protects one another. And I meant what I said about you being family” 

“Family, but not siblings,” Zelda clarified. 

Link dropped his head to her shoulder and laughed.

* * *

They didn’t speak of it at home. Remy convinced Zelda to finally throw what was left of her failed garden experiment into a large burn pile in their backyard and they all sat huddled around the healthy fire. Remy lamented he had nothing edible to roast over it as Link ran his hands back and forth in the cold grass. 

“One time…” he started to speak but stopped himself. He kept his gaze down low until Zelda bumped into his shoulder with hers to encourage him to keep going. 

“Go on,” she said as she leaned on his arm. 

“Um, one time when I was little my dad was burning stuff like this in our yard. We live...lived kind of between the city and the highway and there’s a lot of trees back there so we always had a lot of dead limbs and stuff he would burn. He left it burning while he ran an errand and I slipped and both my hands went into the embers”

Remy winced and poked the fire, watching as the amber hues reflected into Link’s eyes as he stared into them. 

“Were you by yourself?” Zelda asked.

“Yeah”

A silence settled between them as Link’s face fell at the memory. He’d probably been made to play outside while his father was gone. It was a luxury compared to being in his room. He had explored every inch of the tree line at the back of their property, collecting acorns or making little houses for insects. He talked to the birds and held his hand out for the beetles to crawl over just to feel their prickly legs on his skin. He often fell asleep outside in the grass, having battled the nightmares and the anxiety that kept him up during the night. He was always fighting with his sleep to find him at the right time. 

“Well don’t leave us hanging kid, what happened next?” Remy interrupted his thoughts. 

“Oh...um, I guess I screamed loud enough to wake my mom up and she came outside and picked me up. When my dad got back they yelled at each other for some reason and my mom ended up driving me to the hospital. I cried the whole way there. I don’t remember much after that except that she held me the entire time they fixed my hands and then I got in trouble with my dad when I got home”

Zelda sat up and made a face at him. 

“You got in trouble for getting hurt?”

“I wasn’t supposed to go near the fire”

“What did he do?”

“ _ Zelda _ ,” Remy warned, but Link shook his head. 

“It’s okay,” he said, sighing deeply, “I don’t actually remember what he did. Sometimes I think...I just kind of...went somewhere else. But I do remember that she didn’t check on me afterwards. I sat on my bed for a long time and waited for her, but she never came” 

He felt a tingle of warmth on his hand and looked down to see a single tear absorbing into his skin, like his body wasn’t quite ready to let him shed his sadness yet, claiming it back to use another day. 

“I got in trouble for putting Dad’s shaving cream into his computer once,” Zelda said to break the silence that crept up on them again, “I just liked the way it sounded coming out of the can”

“What happened?”

Remy let out a breath and watched it fog as he replayed the memory. He was surprised she even remembered that, as little as she was. He’d caught her with her tongue between her teeth as she concentrated on using all her might to push down the dispenser on the can. 

“We went to the store and bought whipped cream,” Remy finished the story for her, “And we talked about asking before using someone else’s things”

“Oh,” Link mumbled as he felt his embarrassment creep up his neck. 

He pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees hoping they wouldn’t ask for more details. Zelda threw her blanket over his shoulders and together they held the front closed to keep out the cold. 

“Will you go with me if I go?” he finally asked. 

“Yes,” both Remy and Zelda answered simultaneously.

Remy shook his head at Zelda and she only stared him down from across the fire as she held possessively onto him. 

“Thank you,” he smiled softly, “For everything. I’m sorry I’m so much trouble”

“Shut up,” Zelda scolded him.

“I second that,” Remy added, “You’re just enough trouble”

Link leaned into Zelda and let his smile fade as he watched the fire dance around the burning logs. There was some part of him that yearned to reach out and touch it, to close his eyes and let the flames lap over his body like a high tide. He wondered if it would take long before he was reduced to ash. It was comforting in a way to imagine. He’d be lifted into the wind, scattered infinitely across the landscape. Would he be forgotten then? Would anyone know it was his memory that drifted across the sky? Or would he finally be lost forever? 

The familiar ache of sorrow coated him from the inside out. He didn’t fight the heaviness in his chest or the numbness in his heart. He was just too tired to try anymore. He sat and let Zelda run her hand up and down his arm as he let himself become lost to it. He wanted nothing more than to turn to her and kiss her sweetly just to hear her giggle. He wanted to laugh about some insignificant blunder at school or listen as she spilled her thoughts about why she thought Zoras should integrate back into Hylian society or why white cheese was superior to yellow. But he couldn’t. It had almost been easier back when his pain had been a secret. Back when he could wear his mask that covered his brokenness. He thought it was only a matter of time before she realized his cracks were permanent and that he’d always be one jarring movement away from falling apart. He wondered if she would grow tired of him then. She deserved so much more than what he could give her. 

“You’re crying,” she said softly, wiping his tears with her sleeve, “Don’t cry”

“I just want to know why,” he sniffled as he turned into her. Despite his best internal efforts he could never push her away, “What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing,” she whispered to him, “You just were accidentally given to the wrong family. But we’ve found each other now. It’ll be okay, I promise”

Remy watched them and felt his heart swell with pride for his daughter. Not once had she ever expressed any desire to rid herself of the responsibility of being close with someone who carried the trauma Link did. The way she handled him was so gentle and so sweet that it nearly brought tears to his eyes. She had no obligation to stay with him, yet she refused to let him suffer alone. Where Remy faltered in knowing what to say to ease his heartache, she only had to hold his hand or lean into his side to keep him from spilling over. In return, he’d noticed a gradual change in her as well. She’d mellowed and matured. He noticed that she thought more before she spoke and wasn’t so quick to jump into situations she didn’t understand like she had before. She had picked up on his quiet, contemplative nature and was happy to just sit and be with him without needing to constantly fill the air with conversation as she did when she was younger. They complimented each other so perfectly. He watched as Link smiled through his tears and tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear. He knew love when he saw it and he was determined to give them the chance to enjoy it. He opened his slate and sent a message to Link’s caseworker. 

_ He’ll go, but I go first. If she’ll speak to me, then she can speak to him.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've caught up with myself again, so give me a few days for the next one. Halloween is upon us and I work with small children. I'll either have a great time or I will die. There is no in-between. If I die, just imagine Link and Zelda on a beach in Hawaii sipping Pina Coladas while Remy sunbathes.


	20. Chapter 20

_ “Daddy, I’m just very scared,” he whimpered at his door as another crack of thunder rolled across the sky. He rained down his face as the puddles grew deeper outside. The sheets hitting his window were coming to get him. They were going to wash him away and he didn’t even know how to swim.  _

_ “Please, Daddy. I promise to be good,” he cried as he rattled the door handle again.  _

_ He fell backwards when the door opened and shrunk down low to the ground when his father looked down at him. He was as tall as the buildings in the city and his shadow stole the light creeping in from the hall.  _

_ “What the hell are you on about in here? Didn’t I tell you to shut up? Your mother is sleeping,” he growled at him.  _

_ He clutched his stuffed dog close to his chest and wondered how anything could have frightened him more than the storm outside.  _

_ “That lighting is getting me,” he sniveled.  _

_ “Lighting can’t get you in here” his father stated, as if it should have been obvious to the tiny boy shivering on his cold bedroom floor beneath him, “It needs a conductor. It won’t get you in the house. It's just noise. Noise can’t hurt you either. So you’re crying for nothing” _

_ He stood and sniffled and begged with his eyes when he was too scared to let his words come out. So often his words got him in trouble. But for whatever reason, he did not get in trouble that night. His father merely left the door open and went back to his recliner in the living room, where the dull light of the television cast his face in shadow. Link watched as the colors of the show he was watched smeared across his face with each change in scene.  _

_ “What’s a ductor?” he finally asked.  _

_ “Conductor. It’s an object electricity can travel through”  _

_“Is there one in here?”  
_ _  
__“No”_

_ “Can I see one?” _

_ “Shut up or you’re going back to your room” _

_ He squeaked out his final sound and crawled onto the couch. He didn’t understand the show his father was watching but he watched it all the same. Slowly his eyelids started drooping closed and he nearly found his peace until another crack of lightning shook the house. He cried out and his father’s head snapped in his direction. His hands flew over his mouth and he clenched his eyes shut and tensed his shoulders as he awaited his punishment. But he was only hit by a soft object that collapsed onto his lap. He opened his eyes and found that a blanket had been thrown at him.  _

_ “A blanket is not a conductor. Now go to sleep”  _

_ He bundled himself up and imagined all the lightning that would bounce off of him if he were to go outside. Was it like a magic shield? He covered and uncovered his face as he wiggled around on the cushions of the couch, stilling when his father sent him another look. He brushed the soft fabric up and down his cheek and let the motion comfort him until he fell asleep.  _

* * *

He woke with a start as the thunder jolted him from sleep. He rubbed his face and rolled over, reaching out for Zelda before realizing she’d probably left for her own bed after he’d fallen asleep the night before. As easy going as Remy was, they weren’t allowed to share a bed behind a closed door. He knew it wasn’t an unreasonable request, but he still missed her. He craved her like one might crave a sweet when she wasn’t around. He could still feel the ghost of her touch on his cheek, the warmth of her legs between his as they wrapped around one another. 

He’d spent his whole life reaching out for affection only to be pushed away. His father never so much as held his hand and only touched him to punish him or physically move him to another location. His mother left him more muddled than anything. One moment she’d be gentle and loving with him and the next she’d act as if just being near him caused her physical discomfort. At a certain point he’d come to the conclusion that no one wanted him close to them so he’d closed himself off, even as the feelings still remained. He was so starved for touch and when Zelda offered him a platter of it he couldn’t help but indulge. 

He found his way downstairs and settled into the deep kitchen window, pulling his legs up to his chest as he sat on the wide bench seat and watched the rain caress the outside of the window pane. He let himself feel nothing as the long, slick fingers of wetness slithered across the cold glass. He didn’t know how long he’d sat there watching their movements until he heard her voice. 

“You look like a sad painting”

He turned and saw her leaned on the doorway, a sleepy smile across her face. Just the sight of her eased his inner turmoil. There was nothing he’d done in his life to earn her presence or her affection. More than once he’d told himself to push her away before she could do the same to him, but he’d never had the strength to do it. Things were just so easy with her. She seemed to understand when he couldn’t find the will to speak and was content to simply sit in the silence they made together without pressuring him to fill it. 

There were days he wondered if he hadn’t dreamed it all. That one day he would wake up back at home after having drank a little too much of his mother’s medicine. He’d wake in his cold  room with only his own thoughts and imaginings to keep him company and she’d have been nothing but an empty daydream to fill the void. But when her warm hand found his and he felt that familiar jolt of electricity run between them, he knew the moment was real. She had chosen to be near him. Chosen to love him, despite being given every opportunity to throw him away. The thought was so unbelievable that it almost hurt as it passed through his brain. 

“Don’t you miss your other friends?” he asked her as she settled across from him, laying her opposite cheek on the window as she rested her knees against his, “I bet they don’t sleep all the time or come with extensive, unresolved childhood trauma” 

She glared at him before reaching across to grab the hand he’d rested between them.

“I thought I did, so I called Mipha yesterday while you were at therapy talking about your ‘extensive, unresolved childhood trauma’” she mimicked his voice by lowering hers. He rolled his eyes playfully and tried not to imagine the therapist sitting across from him. He’d been drilled multiple times on how important of a role it would play in his healing, but he still hadn’t been able to trust anyone outside of Zelda or Remy.

“What’d you talk about?” he asked as he pushed the thought from his mind. 

“Oh, she droned on and on about this and that. I don’t miss school, if that’s your next question. Everything about it seems so pointless now. She even asked me to go to the movies with her this weekend, but I made up some lame excuse why I couldn’t go”

“Why’d you do that?” the concern on his face seemed to melt her as she squeezed his hand. 

“Because I’d rather be here with you”

He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to control the emotion swelling inside him. It was still new to him to be wanted. Part of him wanted to scold her and force her to go and leave him behind, but another part of him yearned to never see her leave the same room he was in again. The constant back and forth was exhausting. 

“I’ve never been to the movies,” he deflected. 

Zelda jolted forward and squeezed both his knees and his eyes went wide at her sudden bolt of energy.

“You never told me that!” 

“It never came up”

“Let’s go,” she said as she nearly flew from her seat, pulling him up with her.

“When?” 

“Right now”

“What?”

She spun around and put both her hands on his cheeks, standing on her tiptoes so she could meet him eye to eye. He lost himself in the fields of emerald that shone back at him as a grin slowly grew across her face. 

“It’s like a date,” she whispered as she turned his head back and forth, seeming to examine him from all angles. 

“You’re growing a beard,” she commented before he could process his inner panic enough to answer her. Se ran a finger along his jawline, feeling the rough hair that had started to grow there. He was so discombobulated he couldn’t hardly see straight. Between her hands on his face and the tantalizing way she ran her fingers along his skin it was a wonder he even remembered to breath. 

“Go get dressed, but don’t touch your hair. I like it like that,” she winked as she let go of him, relishing in the way his blush spread down under the collar of his shirt. 

He was still standing there when she came down fully dressed a few moments later. She giggled and pushed him up the stairs.

* * *

Zelda insisted that no movie experience was complete without snacks and so Link carried the giant bowl of popcorn into the dark room and settled it between them. They’d chosen the first movie they both noticed first. It was an action film about a war hero infiltrating a bokoblin camp to free a woman they’d stolen from a trading caravan. It was set in ancient Hyrule with the castle of old looming in the background and every protagonist having some semblance to the Hero of the Wild.

Link found himself watching her more than the movie. He’d spent a large amount of time in front of a screen as a child. His parents had often put something on for him in order to lure him away from wherever they were. It was how he’d learned about what other families were like. He’d seen shows where the mother would storm into a school and demand justice for something a teacher had done wrong to their child, movies where a father would fight tooth and nail to save his children, or even just shows where the children were allowed to speak freely and weren’t locked inside their bedrooms for extended periods of time. It may have warped his perspective on what family really was, but it had been an incredible escape for him. He’d lost himself for hours inside movies and television, often feeling empty when his mind finally forced him back to reality during a commercial or when his father made him leave the room.

When Zelda gasped and grabbed at her chest at a particularly strenuous portion of the movie, he didn’t fight the urge he had to lean across the divider in between them and kiss her on the cheek. She squeaked in surprise before grabbing the collar of his sweatshirt and pulling him to her mouth. Their hands roamed and she shifted to the point where she was nearly on top of him as they stole each other's breath again and again. When her cold hand found its way to the softness of his lower stomach, he let out a particularly loud gasp that had Zelda smiling against his mouth. They were broken apart only when the elderly woman seated in front of them turned around in disgust.

“For Goddess sake, this is the matinee!”

Zelda scrambled off him in a fit of giggles and they tried to keep their hands where they belonged for the rest of the movie, though they weren’t entirely successful. When the credits finally rolled, she pulled him to his feet and they made their way to her car. She turned her music up loud as she drove around aimlessly, simply enjoying each other’s company before she pulled into a coffee shop and ordered them both something to warm their hands and their stomachs. They sat in a small outlet mall parking lot and listened as the rain drummed on the roof of her car as they sipped their lattes and watched people roam in and out of the shops before them. 

Her car smelled like honey and cinnamon and the damp fabric of their clothes. He took a deep breath to let it fill him entirely, feeling the strain still in his left lung. But instead of letting it take him back there again, he realized there was no place he’d rather be. He realized, rather suddenly, that he was happy.

“Me too,” she replied with a soft smile as she shifted in her seat to stare at him. 

He blushed, not realizing he’d said the words out loud, though he didn’t regret it. It was because of her that he had anything to be happy about at all. He tried to be embarrassed at his slip until he noticed the way she was looking at him.

“Why me?” he asked, as he watched her love for him settled all across her face, “of all the people in the world...why me?”

She put her coffee down in the cup holder so she could focus on exactly what she needed to say. It was hard to put into words something so inherently obvious to her. As if he’d simply asked, “why are you breathing?” She reached out and put a hand on his leg that was always bouncing up and down. He stilled it briefly as he reacted to her touch. 

“When I look at you, it’s like everything shifts into focus. It’s like you are always meant to be wherever I am”

He stared at her as she spoke, his own coffee squeezed between his hands. 

“You listen to everything I say. Actually listen. No one ever does that. Even my Dad tunes me out sometimes. But never you. I know I’ve told you that before, but it means so much to me”

She lifted her hand to touch the roughness of his cheek again and he leaned into it, completely entranced by her. 

“You just...you just feel right to me. You’re comfortable. You make me happy. I want to see what you look like when you’re old and gray. I want to take you to do all the things you've never done before just to see you smile...That’s why,” she finished with a smile as he watched her mouth form every syllable. 

Every word filled him with so much hope and so much love that momentarily it was all he could feel. In that moment, there was no sadness, no latent anger, no desperation or hopelessness pulling him down. There was only Zelda.

“You saved my life,” he whispered as he held the hand on his cheek.

“You saved your own life,” she corrected, but he shook his head.

“No Zelda, I mean it,” he raised his voice as his confidence came back to him, “Without you, no one would have ever known. I would have laid there until I died and no one would have ever noticed I was missing. I would have just been forgotten” 

Her breathing stuttered as she began to softly cry.

“That’s not true,” she whimpered.

“It is true,” he continued, “I didn’t mean anything to anyone until you and your Dad. But I know it’s not true anymore. If I went missing, you’d look behind every blade of grass until you found me”  
  
She breathed out as she smiled through her tears. 

“I’d ask every single person I knew,” she said, “and then I would ask them again”

It was his turn to smile.

“I would never sleep again until I knew you were safe”

He pulled both of her hands into his lap and held them firmly.

“And you know what?” he added, for once his face completely dry, “I believe you” 

They collided again with so much force that he briefly wondered if he’d broken the seat of her car. She kissed every inch of his face until the position they were stuck in because of the middle console between them became so uncomfortable that she collapsed back into her own seat while she tried to catch her breath. 

“Oh, also it’s because you’re very handsome,” she said between deep breaths as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his sweatshirt from where she’d been clinging to him. 

“What?” 

“Gods, Link. You’re beautiful. Look in a mirror sometime,” she rolled her eyes. 

“You’re beautiful,” he shot back at her with his forehead deeply creased.

“No, I’m rotten,” she laughed as she turned the heat down in her car. They’d generated enough heat between them to fog the windows and she didn’t want anyone thinking they’d been doing more inappropriate activities in their vehicle in the middle of a parking lot in the middle of the day. That was not a conversation she wanted to have with her father. 

“If you’re rotten, I’m decaying”

“Please don’t decay in my car”

He beamed at her before plugging his nose and pointing in her back seat.

“That’s not me you’re smelling, it’s that month old bento box in the back seat. I think you’ve created a new lifeform”  
  
She yanked her head around to look at what he was referring to and noticed her lunch from the last day she’d been at school still laying its side where she’d thrown it. Sure enough, there was a dark green mold clinging to the side. 

“Well excuse me for being busy that day!”

“Busy doing what?” he laughed as he watched her cringe. 

“Frantically messaging you!” she blurted out before her hand shot to her forehead in realization, “Oh my Gods, Link”

“What?” he asked quickly as a jolt of anxiety shot across his ribcage.

“You need a new slate!”

He laughed and willed his heart to slow down.

“Why? We live together now. If I need you I’ll just yell”

She scoffed at him and buckled herself back into her seat. 

“Yeah right, you never yell”

He raised his brows to her in a challenge before rolling down his window. 

“Hey! My dad is an asshole!” he hollered, causing an older woman to startled as she clung to her clear umbrella in the steadily falling rain. She sent him an angry look before shuffling back down the sidewalk. 

“Now look what you’ve done,” she giggled, “you’ve scared grandma. Now I’m stuck with you. They’ll never let you in the nursing home now” 

“I guess I’ll just have to stay with you then,” he grinned at her and she returned it full force as she began backing out of her parking spot. 

“Hey Link,” she said as she made her slow escape back into traffic. 

“Hey Zelda?”

“I love you. Let’s go home” 

He jolted from his seat to kiss her again, laughing as it made her swerve ever so slightly, causing the person behind her to honk their horn. Neither one of them minded. As she focused on driving so they wouldn’t both end up back in the hospital, he sat and imagined himself old and gray like she’d said. How many days were between now and then? How many more kisses, more hugs, or new experiences would they share in between? He smiled as he thought out it, but the joy slowly faded. Though she did wonders to heal his broken soul, the pain of what had broken it in the first place still lingered in his bones like the ache of an old fracture. He closed his eyes and willed his mind not to go there, but it always did. How long would his past haunt him? Would he ever see the future around the shadow it made on his present? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm always complaining about this or that or saying I've had a hard week. The truth is that life is always some variety of hard for me. It's just been kind of extra hard the past few days and for no particular reason. I'm kind of empty right now. I had written half of this one a while ago and wanted to go ahead and post it. I had other plans for it, but I decided to just go with some lighthearted Zelink at the end for now. I hope it's not as incoherent as I feel like it is. The next chapter is kind of a heavy one and I want to really be in it when I flesh it out so give me a few days again. 
> 
> Hopefully I'll swim up to the surface soon. Thank you for sticking with me! Your comments are always so much fun for me to read. They are like a little surprise in my email each morning. <3


	21. Chapter 21

When Remy left them, they were still deciding on what to cook for lunch. Link had taken an interest in cooking once he realized he really was welcome to raid their pantry and use all of their ingredients and Zelda was content to simply sit back and watch as he wrinkled his brow in concentration while he meticulously looked over a recipe. It was how they had discovered that he needed the glasses that he now refused to wear for long lengths of time. The optometrist Remy had taken him to was amazed that he had adjusted and adapted to his poor vision the way he had and explained that he had probably needed glasses since he was very young. He remarked that it was likely to have caused him academic issues as well, since he was likely to have had difficulty seeing the content from his seat. Link had nodded silently in reply but a part of him was relieved to finally have something external to blame his struggles on rather than feeling as if he were simply slower than most. He had no idea the world wasn’t simply as blurry to everyone else as it was to him. That didn't mean he enjoyed having to wear something on his face all the time. 

He pulled his glasses from his back pocket to read the fine print of the recipe and Zelda grinned from ear to ear. He’d been on the upswing lately. He seemed to be feeling better physically and had finally stopped taking medication for the pain in his healing muscles. They’d started jogging in the mornings and had slowly increased their distance as Link’s lung capacity returned. He was laughing more, smiling more, spending more time outside of his room. It was why Remy felt so guilty about what he was about to do. 

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” he said as he watched Link measure flour into a sifter. 

“Do you want us to save you some?” Zelda asked. 

“Absolutely I do” 

He kissed Zelda on the forehead and then put a hand on Link’s back. He knew where he was going. He’d agreed that it might be a good idea for Remy to fill his mother in on certain details he wasn’t ready to talk about yet. It was difficult for him to wrap his mind around the idea that his worlds were colliding and being safe at home with Zelda when it happened was a lot more appealing to him than watching it happen in real time. 

“One day soon, things will start to feel normal. I promise,” Remy said gently as Link nodded. 

Remy gave him an affectionate pat on the back and walked out the door. 

* * *

When he sat in front of her in the police approved neutral meeting area that looked a whole lot like a doctor’s reception office, he tried to school his face. He’d wished for weeks now that he could simply reach inside and fix whatever was broken inside of Link. Now it was sitting across from him in the form of a small blonde woman in wrinkled clothes that had been biting her lower lip the whole time he was screened before entering the room. She squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. She was dwarfed in comparison to him and he nearly felt as if he were about to scold a small child when he had to remind himself this was Link’s mother. The woman who had sat by for years and let the boy he’d grown so fond of be beaten and abused and belittled. He cleared his throat to keep from lashing out before even beginning the conversation. 

“Mara, this is Remigius Hyrule. He is Link’s foster father. Link has been staying with him and his daughter since he was released from the hospital,” the woman standing behind her spoke. She had a name tag pinned to her shirt that labelled her as a staff member of an adult mental health treatment facility. Remy guessed she must have been assigned to mediate the conversation on Mara's behalf. 

“Mr. Hyrule, Mara has been quite worried about her son. Would you mind letting her know that he’s doing well?”

“You wish for me to lie to her directly or simply sugarcoat it so it’s easier to swallow?” he let the words fly from his mouth without thinking. Mara recoiled at his harshness and closed her eyes before doing a series of breathing exercises she must have been coached on. 

“Mr. Hyrule, please be civil,” the woman reprimanded him, but he sat unfazed as Mara slowly came back to herself. 

He grumbled and held his hands together on the table before him, holding eye contact with her as she shrank under his gaze. Link had inherited her eyes. He could almost see the shape of his face in her features and the thought helped to dull the sharp edges of the anger that was rattling around inside of him. 

“Mara, right?”

She nodded. Another similarity between them. 

“Link was with us before the hospital, it's only official now. He’s very lucky to be alive, have they told you that?”

She shook her head, freeing the tear that had lodged itself in the crook of her eye. 

“He suffered two very deep stab wounds to his chest. One of them punctured his lung. He was aspirating blood when I got to your house” 

“You were at my house?” she questioned weakly.

“It was my daughter he turned to when he needed someone most. When you abandoned him to die, he reached out for her and I went in her place”  
  
She choked on a sob and her hands flew to her face. The woman behind her rubbed her back and encouraged her to breath. 

“I just want to see him,” she cried, “I just want to see my son”

“ _ Your son _ ?” Remy scoffed as he leaned forward over his hands, “Was he your son when you let your husband beat him black and blue? Was he your son when you left him bleeding on the floor?”

Mara curled up in her chair and wept into her knees as the woman gave Remy a dirty look. He disregarded them both as he continued. 

“Did you know that he has night terrors? That he wakes up screaming when he remembers what you did to him? He tries to hide it. He never asks anyone for help. I suppose its because he's not used to receiving any”

She let out a noise of hurt as she rocked back and forth in her chair. 

“Did you know that he has needed glasses for years? Or that so many of his ribs had been broken that his ribcage is now littered with scar tissue? That his left arm is slightly bent from a break they suspected was never treated? Every doctor I’ve taken him to is amazed he survived as long as he did”

She sucked in a hard breath and raised her face up to meet his stare. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was a mess, her stray hair sticking to the wetness on her cheeks. 

“He had…” she stuttered, sucking in another breath, “he did have glasses when he was little”

“And what happened to them?” he questioned with a raised brow, leaning back in his chair.

“He...he accidentally broke them I think. And Cyril he...he…” she started crying again, staggering for breath as it came in waves, “he hit him with the broom handle. He always hit him so many times. It was never just once. He was so little. He just...he just was moving all the time. We tried to get him to be still but he never listened so Cyril said...he said we had to teach him”

Remy didn’t hide the outrage on his face at her words, even as he was shot another warning look by the mediator. 

“So it was his fault then? That he was a _child_? You know who else never stopped moving? My daughter. They’re about the same age. Just months apart. While I was teaching my little girl about the world and encouraging her to explore and find her place in it, you were shaming and beating your son for having the audacity to act his age. He needed  _ you  _ to teach him. That’s  _ your _ job as a parent. One that you failed spectacularly at. But he's strong. He's an incredibly kid, no thanks to you,” 

“Mr. Hyrule I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you continue,” the woman glared at him but he refused to back down, choosing instead to go quiet as Mara cried and worked to compose herself. It took her several minutes, but eventually she took one last deep breath and faced him again, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. 

“I know...I know I haven’t done right by him. But he’s still my son and I have a right to see him”

“It’s not up to you,” he shot back before she even finished speaking.

“He’s MY son!” she retaliated through her tears, closing her hands into fists in her lap. 

“You had 17 years to be his mother. 17 years! And you chose now when he’s finally healing from all you’ve broken within him to come back and try to be something you never were?!” he stormed as he gripped the table. 

“I didn’t hurt him! It wasn’t me! I never hit him!”

“You didn’t hurt him?!” he yelled across the table, “Are you blind?!”

He could see the mediator calling for security as Mara stood from the table, her chair clattering against the floor. 

“He doesn’t love you,” she snarled at him, “He loves me.  _ I’m  _ his mother! He’s  _ my baby,  _ not yours!” 

“Unfortunately” Remy deadpanned as he stood as well, backing away from her with his hands in his pockets. He nodded to the police officers who approached him wearily and pushed past them into the hall. 

He could hear the woman cooing at Mara, soothing her through her rising panic. She continued to repeat “He’s my son” over and over as they coached her to breath and offered her medication. He closed his eyes and leaned heavily on the wall, only interrupted when a hand on his elbow startled him. 

“I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Hyrule. My name is Mrs. Calip. I’m been assigned as Mrs. Faron’s caseworker of sorts. I’m sure you can see the she is quite unwell”  
  
“Clearly” he grunted as he shook off his own anger. 

“Years of untreated mental illness will do that to a person. I ask that you have a shred of empathy for her,” the woman continued. 

“Where was her empathy for Link? Has he been so easily forgotten in all of this? How has she turned into the victim?” 

“Not at all, you’ve simply made him unavailable as we’ve sorted through the mess that is his family. Not that I can blame you. You’re doing well with him from what I’ve heard,” she smiled at him, trying to relieve the tension. 

He ran a hand down his face and sighed deeply. 

“He doesn’t need to see her like that”

She capped the open pen in her hand and closed the notes on her clipboard as she looked to him with genuine sympathy. 

“Mr. Hyrule, that’s the mother he’s had all his life. She is no stranger to him. He’s likely seen much worse from her”

The words sit like anchors in his stomach.

“If I may…” the woman continued, “How is he, truly? From the little I’ve gathered, that household was no environment for a child to be in. Has he given you any trouble?”

He looked at her as if she asked if the moon were about to crash to the ground since either one was just as likely as the other to never occur. 

“Link!? Gods, no. He’s a very tenderhearted boy. Quiet. Apparently he talks a lot to my daughter, but it takes a lot for him to speak with anyone else. They are thick as thieves, those two,” the image of them lumped together on the couch bickering over what to watch on TV, even when he knew Zelda would always win out in the end, soothed him from the inside out. He wanted to leave that building and never return so he could absorb some of the peace they created together. He was grateful Link was home with her and not there with him. 

Mrs. Calip puzzled over his words in the silence that hung between them as she thought out her reply. 

“I had heard about your daughter and their relationship. It's good he’s found someone to build trust with. But I would ask that you continue to give him grace even if he starts to decline and she pulls away from him. From the little I’ve heard, he’s been through some serious trauma. You don’t come out of that unscathed. It's likely he's unaware of how healthy relationships work”

“You obviously don’t know them like I do. I know they are young, but they share something most people never find. I can see it because I’ve had it. She won’t throw him away just because things are difficult, I assure you. They're very sweet together. He's at peace when he's with her,” he heard his voice grow softer as he thought of his own wife. He could see that same dedication on Zelda’s face every time she looked at Link. He could see every cog in her mind working on how she could help him though whatever was causing him pain. 

“Mr. Hyrule, being loved, truly loved, is something new for that poor boy. When I first talked with Mara, she couldn’t even remember how old he was or where he went to school. And his father...well...that’s something else entirely. I don’t blame you for wanting to keep him from them. But he needs closure if he is to move on from this. I have no doubt he still holds something for them. Most children in those situations do. It's all he's had”

He felt her words in his own heart all the way home. When he opened the door, he found Zelda curled into the side of the couch with Link draped across the other end with his mouth slightly open in sleep. The scene was so peaceful it brought a smile to his haggard face. 

“He can never finish a movie,” Zelda said sleepily, “He starts falling asleep the moment I put it on”

Zelda was a heavy sleeper. She didn’t know what he knew. That Link would stay up until the morning hours just walking or sitting on the back porch. His demons came for him at night. He often startled awake and stumbled to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face to remind himself of where he was. Remy would hear him sliding open the glass door after he thought everyone else was asleep, only sliding it back open hours later when the sun chased the darkness from the sky. It resulted in him being quite drowsy in the daytime though he tried to hide it. He often fell asleep on Zelda’s shoulder the moment she slowed down. 

“Is that a deal breaker for you? That he’ll never know how Darunia’s Daughter ends?”

She rolled over and grinned at him, “That’s it. It’s the final straw. You can take him back now”  
  
His smile faded at her teasing as he looked at Link asleep on his couch. He looked so tranquil. The bruising on his face had faded to be barely noticeable and he had a healthy pink to him now that wasn’t there before. You could almost mistake him for any other teenage boy napping during a movie and forget the horrors he’d experienced. 

“What happened?” Zelda asked quietly when she noticed the change in his demeanor. 

He shoved his hands in his pockets and flattened his mouth as he thought about how to explain the tempest of emotions swirling inside of him. He felt a fierce need to protect Link. If he chose to ignore everything else, he’d sign every paper he had to in order to make sure he never saw his parents again. But he knew it wasn’t that easy. 

“It's going to be hard on him...when he goes”

“Then tell him he can’t”

He dropped down on the sofa across from them and drummed his hands on the end table as he watched the movie shift into the ending credits. 

“I won’t do that to him”

“Hmm?” Link sat up and rubbed his eyes, smiling sheepishly at Zelda. 

“Rise and shine, kiddo,” Remy said as he leaned back and propped his feet on the coffee table between them, “You missed Darunia’s change of heart when he finally allowed his daughter to marry the Hylian she fell in love with. Somehow they had children. I need a whole movie just based on that fact alone”

“Spoiler alert!” Zelda scoffed. 

He laughed lightly and watched as Link leaned his head on the back cushion, looking at him expectantly. 

“She’s okay. She’s being taken care of. I think they have her at a facility for adults with mental health needs,” he answered the question he knew Link wouldn’t ask, “you have her eyes”  
  
Zelda’s face fell as she flopped over to be closer to him. She fixed the hood of his sweatshirt that had tangled awkwardly around his neck and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Remy had noticed that change in her. She seemed to revert into a quiet mothering mode when she sensed he needed her but she didn’t know what else to do to help him. He sat still and let her do whatever she needed, his eyes watching her every movement. 

“That’s...good. I guess,” he pulled his hands in his lap to wring them together. 

“I don’t think they’ve gotten her medication quite right yet. She was…” he struggled for the right words to describe what he’d seen, but Link didn’t need them. He only sighed and pulled his knees closer to his chest. 

“Yeah...” he breathed. 

“Has she always been that way? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I am curious”

Link took a deep breath and felt Zelda’s feet maneuver to sit atop his. They were sitting opposite on the couch, watching each other. She reached out a hand to rest atop his knee and smiled at him. It was all the push he needed. 

“Um...there were times when she was happy. Sometimes she would even be happy for days at a time. One of my clearest memories was when she actually went on a field trip with me. I think it was kindergarten. We went to the pumpkin patch,” he smiled at the memory, his eyes looking up as he recalled it, “she was just like the other moms then. I made her hold me the entire time and my teacher made me get down and walk. I cried about it, but she held my hand. I picked a little white pumpkin. Why do I remember that?”

“It’s important to you,” Zelda answered, “I remember the dress I was wearing on my 6th birthday, but I hardly remember all of last year. Memory is weird” 

He smiled softly at her before continuing. 

“But...then she’d just...leave. Not physically, but mentally. It would start with something triggering her. A lot of times it was me. They always told me I was too loud. I would drop something or talk too much and she’d get so angry that she would start throwing things. My dad would put me in my room and I would hear them fighting. Sometimes he would come into my room later and uh...it just depended on him what happened next”

“...such as?” Remy asked carefully.

Link bit the inside of his cheek and started shaking his leg before he answered. 

“When I was little he just yelled. But one day he slapped me. And then the next it was a fist. Sometimes he’d push me into the wall or use a stick or whatever was lying around. It just kind of...got worse... I don’t think mom knew at first. When I started school he was careful to only hit me where it could be easily hidden. Sometimes he'd tell me I wasn't allowed to take my jacket off in case anyone saw. He told me I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone or the police would come and take me away to a place they sent bad kids. I thought it was my fault for a long time. I thought I was so bad that I made her the way she was” 

Zelda started softly crying and he grabbed her hand and shook his head. 

“Don’t cry,” he said softly, “Please don’t cry. I’ll be okay, I promise”

But she continued to cry and climbed between his legs to grab him around the torso. 

He held her awkwardly and looked at Remy whose face was hard to read.

“Link,” he said with a gentle firmness, “I need you to know something before I take you to see her”

Link’s eyes widened as Zelda sat up to lean against him. 

“It is not your responsibility to take care of your mother just like it isn’t your fault in the first place that she’s in the state she’s in. You were and still are a child. Your wellbeing is  _ her  _ responsibility. Not the other way around. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir,” he said quietly as he squeezed Zelda tightly. 

“I’m not scolding you, Link,” Remy said as he deflated slightly at Link’s defensive body language, “I’m only saying it because I care about you. I...this may feel awkward to you but I do love you, kid. And I don’t want to see you hurt anymore. You’re breaking my heart. It's just not fair what happened to you”

Link bit back his tears as long as he could, but they caressed down his cheeks all the same. It wasn’t an ugly, painful cry. But one that spoke of longing and a sorrow so deep rooted he often forgot it was there because of how ingrained it was into himself. 

“I just…” he sucked in a breath, “I just don’t know how to do this” 

“I’ll be there with you,” Zelda said as they shuffled so that they sat side by side on the couch, pressing close to each other so as to not lose that contact. 

“I will be too”

He nodded resolutely before drying his tears on the back of his hand. 

“I’m tired of crying,” he sighed as his breathing evened out. 

“One day in the future we’ll be sitting on that back porch together eating cake and all of this will just be an ugly memory. You two might even be married by then,” Remy wiggled his eyebrows to try and lift the mood. 

Link blushed bright red and Zelda threw the nearest object at him with a disgusted sound. 

“Or are you just  _ really good friends _ ?” he teased as he dodged it, throwing a small pillow back at her. 

“You’re not invited to our wedding!” Zelda grinned at him, “You’ll embarrass me!” 

“Then who is coming? Your Uncle Flynn? Granny Lasli? As if” 

“Granny Lasli is a real person?” Link chimed in.   
  
They both turned to laugh at him as he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He laid his head on the back cushion of the couch again and watched as they continued to tease one another. When they pulled him into it he felt a contentment he’d never felt before. It wasn’t just a dream. He wouldn’t wake up alone in the morning and dread opening his bedroom door. He could stroll down stairs, open the fridge, cook a whole breakfast, destroying the kitchen in the process, and they would still greet him with a smile and even a kiss or a hug. There would be no more nights spent in fear his mother would harm herself or his father who hit him a little too hard and he wouldn’t wake up. He could live the rest of his life inside the embrace of the family he’d found. All he had to do was choose it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Funny story, well it's not actually funny, but my friend called me the other day and was like, "My grandpa's lung collapsed and he's in the hospital” and I was like... "just pretend you didn't research that for a fictional story...act surprised....act surprised" What are the chances of that happening to me? Life is weird. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the worlds colliding! Should Remy have been that harsh to Link's mom? Probably not. He's not perfect, but he's mad. Can you blame him?


	22. Chapter 22

He was quiet the morning he was scheduled to meet her. Zelda eventually found him out in the backyard sitting against a tree, crunching dry leaves in his hands. His nose was red and his hands were cold and he said nothing when she sat down beside him. She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder just to let him know she was there. 

“Good morning,” he said quietly. 

“Did you sleep?” 

He shook his head and let the last of the crumbs drift from his palm to the ground. He watched them intently, almost waiting for the broken pieces to find each other on the ground and meld themselves back together. 

“Do you remember when you came here the first time?” Zelda asked sitting up to get a better look at him, “When I was making my garden?”

He nodded and turned his head slightly so she could see the hint of a smile on his face. 

“I knew then”

He considered her words a moment and wet his dried lips before he spoke.

“Knew what?”

“That we would be best friends” 

His smile deepened and he rested his hand over hers. 

“How do you always just know things?”  
  
She clicked her tongue as she flipped her hand over to lace their fingers together, using her remaining hand to trace the lines of his tendons down his fingers to the top of his wrist. 

“I don’t usually know things,” she pondered, “It’s just that I usually know things about you, is all”

He questioned her with his eyes and all she did was smile before kissing him sweetly. He smiled shyly in return but she could see the affection in the corner of his crinkled eyes. 

“Did you know that the Hero of the Wild and his Princess Zelda were secretly in love before the Calamity?” she asked him as she snuggled into his side. He draped his arm around her and breathed her in. Even the comforting scent of her masked his anxieties, if only temporarily. She made his heart settle behind the cage of his ribs, filled his still waning lungs with fresh air each time she touched him. 

“Didn’t they like...have a bunch of kids afterwards?” he asked as he laid his head on hers. 

“Yeah, but that was after,” she explained, “They loved each other before too. It was what woke her powers”

“Sometimes they say it was just desperation. That she’d lost everyone else and couldn’t handle anymore”

“It was desperation. She was desperate not to lose _ him _ . You can read her diary, it’s kind of obvious” 

He closed his eyes and let the cool air ruffle his hair. He thought of the blue clad hero and the princess with her golden jewelry and her long, flowing gown. They were the same age as him and Zelda when the calamity struck. Another Link. Another Zelda. A calamity of different forms. Would his Zelda have done the same for him? He smiled as he assured himself she would. She would have built an entire shrine to help heal him if she could. Part of him wished she could. He wouldn't mind losing a few memories. 

“But he lost his memories,” he added, just to keep her talking. If he could fill his mind with her, he could push everything else aside for a moment. 

“At first. But he remembered her in the end and they never left each other’s sides once they were reunited. Isn’t that romantic?” she sighed dreamily as she trailed her fingers further up his arm. 

He hummed in reply and took in a deep breath as he leaned back against the tree. 

“When are you going?” she asked carefully as he seemed to relax. 

“This evening. They said...she’s better in the evenings now, I guess”

“So...that gives us a few hours”

He raised a brow at her suggestive tone and she grinned back at him. He returned her smile halfheartedly and pulled his legs up to his chest as he always did when he was nervous.

“I just wish it was all over,” Zelda sighed as she leaned against him, “I just want you to be happy”

He laid his head down on her shoulder and thought about her words. Would it ever truly be all over? He had never considered that it was something that had a time limit at all. It was just his life. He had lived so long in the moment, that he’d never considered there might be a future that didn’t involve the shaming or the abuse or the heartbreak that resulted from always waiting for his family to be something it was not. Now with a new reality just at the edge of his grip, he found himself oddly conflicted. All he had ever wanted was for him and his mother to escape his father and start a new life together. One where he could take care of her and help her be the person he knew she was underneath the mental illness and the drug abuse. But now he wondered how he would pick her broken pieces off the floor with his broken hands. But more than that, he wanted the safety that was his relationship with Zelda and her father. The home where he wasn’t in danger, where his input was valued, where he was truly loved. Could he give that up to save her? Who would be there to save him if he did? 

“Link?” Zelda asked him as he started to drift off. 

“Hmm?”

“Want to go get some coffee?”

He nodded into her shoulder and she pulled him off the ground. Before they could walk together into the house, she stood on her tiptoes and grabbed his face. She searched his eyes for the longest time and he was content to let her stay there. He would let her do anything. He would do anything for her. She was the only thing that kept him from laying in the nearest street and hoping his next life was better than his current one. 

“I love you,” she said fiercely before planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

“I love you too”

* * *

The building they stood in felt cold. He shoved his hands inside his pockets and allowed Remy to open each door for him as they made their way to the interview room where his mother was waiting for him. Zelda wrapped her own arms around the loop of his and together they walked silently until they reached a door. 

“It’s best if you wait outside,” Ms. Leta said as she stood beside another woman Link did not recognize, but Remy seemed to. He squared his shoulders and offered her a tight nod, which she returned. 

Zelda protested but Remy put a hand on her back and ushered her down the hall, but not before she wrapped her arms around Link’s neck and whispered reassurances into his ear. He breathed them in and prayed they might sustain him as his two worlds collided into a catastrophe of anxiety and dread in the pit of his stomach. He stilled the trembling of his lower lip as Ms. Leta gently opened the door. 

He stood awkwardly in the doorway, even after hearing her voice. The scraping of the legs of her metal chair across the old linoleum rattled across the empty room as she stood suddenly, holding her hands together at her chest. She took off before her own social worker could stop her and he nearly fell backwards from the strength she used to catapult herself into him. She squeezed and squeezed as he stood there stiffly. The only noise he made was a grunt of discomfort when she pushed his still sore wounds into the hardness of his ribs. 

“Have I hurt you?” she asked, worry thick in her words as she raked him over with her eyes, “Is this where...where…”

He cringed as she tried to lift the hem of his sweatshirt to get a better view. He gently pushed her hands away from him as he shook his head. 

“I just need to make sure you’re okay,” she said as she tried again, but he backed away from her touch, “Link?” 

“I’m fine” his response was short. He could feel his heartbeat rising, pushing at the insides of his ears. 

“Your father, he said...he said that you tried to kill him,” her voice cracked as she trembled where she stood, "And that's why...oh Gods..." 

“Mara, why don’t you sit down?” Mrs. Calip said, stepping away from the wall she had leaned against to watch the interaction. She led her by the arm to her seat and motioned for Link to sit across from her. He did as he was told, sitting at the edge of his seat, a constant bounce in his leg as he evened out his own breathing. 

“Link, baby, I’m sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have believed him. But there must have been something that happened that made him act that way. Do you remember? What did you say to him?”

He flexed his jaw as he tried not to let the words slice through him. It had taken him years to see the game they played. A game where his father was always justified because of something Link had done. He’d let the guilt and the shame slowly eat away at him until there was nothing left. Some mornings he’d questioned why he even opened his eyes at all. He knew he couldn't go back to that place again now that he'd left it. He knew he was no longer strong enough or oblivious enough to not let it consume him. 

“I don’t remember, Mom,” he said quietly, “I don’t remember most of it” 

“What?” her voice rose, “Why? You have to try, Link. These police here, you see, I’m trying to help them. I know your father hurt you but we don’t know why. I told them I’d tell them everything but I just wanted to see if you were okay. You’re my little boy, right? And we take care of each other. I just want to take care of you. But I didn’t see him hurt you. You have to tell me. What did you do? Why did he do it?”

With each word that flew without thought from her rapidly moving lips, Link felt his face flush darker and darker. He gripped the softness of the inside of his jacket and clenched his jaw. He cursed himself when he felt the tears start their descent down his cheeks. 

“I didn’t do anything!” he finally yelled, “And neither did _you_!” 

He stared at her, the anger in his eyes so sharp he half wondered if the wetness on his cheeks was from tears or blood. 

“Baby...I-I-I was so scared. I didn’t-uh-” she started to tremble. Mrs. Calip rubbed circles on her back and reminded her over and over to breath.

“We can...we can just forget about it all,” she reached out her hands across the table for him, but he stayed rooted in his seat, “once this is all over, they say I can stay at this treatment facility. It’s for families. You could come with me. Once I get on the right medication, I’ll finally be normal again. We can be a family again”

His composure broke and he fell apart where he sat. He sobbed into hands and felt it ripple through his whole body. He wanted nothing more than for each pained breath to be his last if only so the fake promises would stop their assault on his heart. He knew right then and there that he was never meant to open his eyes again after he closed them that night on his kitchen floor. He had been meant to die there and the Goddesses were cursing him for thwarting their will. He’d been nothing but a disappointment his entire life and had even failed at his own death. So here they were, offering the one thing he’d craved his entire life; a peaceful life with his mother away from the wrath of his father. But it was the one thing he knew he could never accept now. He just wanted it all to end. 

Mara flew from her seat and wrapped him in an embrace so tight he could hardly breath, but he felt himself curling into her. They slid to the floor and she ran her fingers through his hair just as she’d done when he’d been a little boy. 

“Shh, it’s alright,” she cooed at him as he sobbed into her arms, “I won’t leave you again” 

He both craved her touch and despised it at the same time. For years she’d moved from affection to ignoring him within a single breath, leaving him to wonder what it was he’d done to earn her rage or her dissatisfaction. He’d blamed himself for every morning she refused to get out of bed, for every piece of dinnerware she shattered across their floor, for every harsh word she slung at him when her eyes were so dilated she appeared to be drowning in her own internal darkness he was convinced was of his making. 

“I’m sorry,” he choked on his words, “I’m sorry”

“It’s okay,” she whispered as she rocked him, “We can go home now. We will make a new home. Just you and me, okay?”

He stilled as his lungs fought to fill to with the air he’d restricted from them.  _ Home.  _ What was home for him now? Was it the house he grew up in, still stained with his blood? Was it the old mattress in the corner of his room with his own drawings carefully taped around it to give it some semblance of comfort? Was it the bathroom where he’d spent mornings covering his bruises or taping together the fingers his father had broken with his grip? Or was it the smell of pancakes that Zelda had burned or the oaky scent of the cologne Remy wore when he had to attend meetings? He felt himself breath again. Home. The word coated his insides, calming the fire that smoldered inside him. Home was the tickle of Zelda’s hair against his cheeks. It was the genuine way Remy had told him how proud he was that he’d finished the mural on his office wall. It was Zelda’s smile as she fixed his hair, her breath across his lips. He felt himself stutter before letting out a deep exhale. 

“I want to go home,” he said quietly as he pulled away from her arms. 

“Oh, baby, we can go home. We just have to finish things up here. Once the court case and the-”

“I want to go home,” he repeated, scanning the room for Ms. Leta, begging her with his eyes to understand. She nodded and walked out the door. 

“Link?” his mother questioned as he stood, straightening the deep creases in his clothes and wiping his tears from his face, “What are you talking about? We have to get this all settled first and then we can go to the group home together and-”

Her words were cut short by the looming presence of Remy in the doorway. Link walked towards him slowly with his eyes downcast. 

“Where are you going?” his mother asked, the panic rising in her voice, “Mrs. Calip? You said...you said he might be able to stay with me! Why is he leaving?!”

“Mara, we talked about this. You’re not healthy enough to care for him right now. You still need to balance your medications. He’s safe where he is. When he ages out of the system then he might choose to-”

“ _ Might  _ choose?!” she shrieked as she walked towards him with her hand outstretched. 

Remy stepped forward and pulled Link into him with a single arm before she could touch him again. Link did not attempt to move as he tried to block out the sound of his mother’s pleading behind him with the sound of his own heart drumming in his ears. He let Remy crush him into his side and did not look at his mother again.

“That’s my son! You can’t steal him from me!” she cried as Mrs. Calip held her back. 

“Mrs. Faron, please calm down”

“I can’t be alone! I need him!” she cried as Remy ushered Link out into the hallway where he collided with another body. Every inch of Zelda melted into every inch of him as they tried to absorb the pain in the other’s hearts. He said nothing as Remy exchanged words with whoever was at the door. The words no longer made sense to him as Zelda pulled him to the car. He let her hold him as he closed his eyes and tried to wipe his mind clean. He didn’t want to think about anything, he didn’t want to feel anything, he wanted it all to stop. He let himself focus only on the sound of the soft rain that had begun to fall and the gentle cadence it made on the metal of the roof. Zelda didn’t move a muscle other than to softly rub her hand up and down his arm. She held him close and prayed that she could fill him with enough love to block out the hurt inside of him. She closed her eyes along with him and envisioned a beam of golden light encasing them both in a healing embrace that would bring the sparkle back to his eyes. 

* * *

“He wasn’t ready for that,” Ms. Leta explained as Remy stood with his arms crossed across his chest. They had watched the pair dart across the parking lot and crawl into his backseat which had since gone still. He could barely make out the shape of Zelda's hair in the dark windows. 

“Clearly,” was his only response.

“It makes sense to me now, after seeing them together,” she continued, now unfazed by Remy’s demeanor. She had interacted with him enough to know it was how he vented his concern. 

“What sense is there to be made?”

She clicked her tongue and replayed their dialogue in her mind before explaining.

“She manipulates him emotionally. It’s likely she’s done this a long time and he's grown used to it. She relies on the constant attention and care of others, which I’m assuming she’d gotten the bulk of from Link’s father. Without him here to feed that, she’s latched onto Link. She’s a very sick woman and does not need to see him again until they’ve gotten her properly balanced. They'll only hurt each other more. Now you see what he’s endured all his life. I think...I think it was harder on him this time because he knew there was an alternative”

Remy pinched the bridge of his nose and let his face fall. Link had looked so much like a child when he stood before him in that doorway. It reminded him of the times a younger Zelda had come to him after throwing a tantrum just to collapse in his arms, no longer knowing what to do with the tempest of emotions that swirled inside her small body. He imagined the storm inside Link that he’d battled alone all his life. He wanted nothing more than to drag him ashore, but he felt utterly helpless to stop the torrent of rain from washing him away.

“What do I do?” he asked desperately, for once letting his tough exterior crumble, “How does he move on from this?”

Ms. Leta put a soft hand on his arm and smiled gently.

“Keep loving him. Be there for him. Show him what a normal family looks like and let him find his place within it. Be patient with him as he grieves and relearns himself. Don’t give up on him when he gives up on himself. That’s all”

“That’s all,” he laughed, humorlessly as he let out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair, “I can’t stand to see him like that”  
  
Ms. Leta pat his arm and encouraged him to follow Link and Zelda out the door. 

“That’s why I’m approving his long term placement with you. You’ve raised an incredibly kind and compassionate daughter from the looks of it, so I’ve no doubt what wonders you will work with him. Now go, piece that boy back together and don’t let them share a room unless you want a grandchild. They really are ‘thick as thieves’ like you said” she smirked at him 

Remy rolled his eyes before thanking her under his breath and making his way back to the car. The three of them rode in silence all the way home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I haven't read or written in what feels like an eternity. The inside of my mind has simply been a dumpster fire. I sat down to write so many times and only got out one sentence before slamming my computer shut. But I got his one out and I feel so much better for it. 
> 
> After this week, I get an entire week off so I'm hoping I can knock this one the rest of the way out. It's nearing the end! I also have this random story stuck in my mind I'm forcing myself not to start until I finish this one and Little Hero and What We've Built. I just want to write a deaf/mute baby Link. I know know one cares or wants that, but damn it, I've been daydreaming that one hard! 
> 
> Let me now if you enjoyed the angst! Link is a hurt, sad, and very confused boy right now.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: brief mention of implied self-harm.

Link sank into himself for days after. The only time Remy could drag him from his r oom was to drive him to his mandated therapy sessions that he also sat through without saying a word. Zelda did her best to try and make him smile or laugh, but it was always short lived. He’d complain of a headache and ask to lay down as soon as they felt like he was starting to be himself again. His listlessness was even turning Zelda blue. Remy would catch her sitting with her slate screen black between her hands as she looked down at her own reflection. He hated it, but he had no idea what to do to ease the pain within either of them. They were so in tune with the other that nothing he did really seemed to make a difference. 

One afternoon Zelda creaked Link’s door open and stared at the way his hair splayed across his bare back as he lay in bed. She was drawn to be close to him and crawled up behind him, draping her arm around his form and resting her hand on his chest. He made no movement other than to cradle her hand in his and gently swipe his thumb back and forth over the thin skin he found there. 

“There’s two weeks of winter break left,” she told the back of his neck. 

He hummed in reply and kept up the motion with his thumb.

“Have you ever been to old Kakariko?”

He turned over to look at her then with a question in his eyes. They were dull and lined in red as if he’d just finished crying, though his cheeks were dry now.

“Have you been there?” he asked with a rasp to his voice. It was the first thing she’d heard him say in well over a day.

“Well yeah, Dad and I travel every break I get from school. But I haven’t been there since I was little. They always light lanterns for the old Queen this time of year. It’s beautiful”

A look of hurt washed across his face as he squeezed his eyes closed.

“You didn’t get to go this year because of me,” he croaked, the heartbreak in his voice so sincere that Zelda felt her heart squeeze, “I’m sorry”

He covered his face with his hands and took deep breaths, his mind and body so exhausted from crying that he wondered if it were even possible to conjure up any more to shed over this new source of anguish. He simply couldn't keep up with his own failures at this point. 

“Link!” she tried to console him but he was lost to it again. He turned away from her and buried his face in the softness of his pillows.

“You should go without me” 

“We should go together!”

That got his attention and he lifted from his depression nest long enough to cock his head to the side.

“When?”

“Whenever you’re ready”

He let his head fall back down but he watched her as she watched him. She wasn’t angry or upset at him. If he closed his eyes and opened them again, she would still be there. She flew in such contrast to the life he’d known that he often forgot how to navigate the new waters he’d found himself in. Zelda wasn’t so quick to paint him with her own negativity or leave him behind. He was important to her. Truly important. Sometimes he had to remind himself of that. 

“You aren’t tired of me?”

She frowned at him, all the while trying to hide the soft smile in her eyes.

“Wouldn’t you rather have a boyfriend who didn’t cry all the time? One who isn’t half dead?”

Her face lit up at his words, despite their self pity, as a grin slowly lifted her cheeks. She leaned further over him so that her hair trapped them both in a little canopy of her making. 

“What?” he laughed shyly as she continued to bend down slowly so that their noses were touching. She closed the distance between them and kissed him warmly, letting their lips stay connected for an extra second before slowly pulling away. He was flushed from his chest to the tips of his ears and she chuckled at the sight of it. 

“That’s the first time you’ve said it,” she said sweetly as she looked down at him.

His blush deepened as he swallowed hard and nodded.

“I know that’s hard for you, but it does make me happy to hear it”

He gingerly lifted his hand to comb her long hair behind her ear as he studied the way his fingers traced the side of her face. She let him process it all, patient as always while he formulated his response. 

“If you ever…” he coughed through his anxiety as she settled more comfortably at his side while he sat up so that she could lean into him, “I don’t want you to feel...obligated to stay with me. I know I...I don’t have much to give you. You deserve so much more than-”

“ _ Link,”  _ she groaned as he faltered around his words. She grabbed his face so that they were eye to eye, “I don’t feel _ obligated  _ or  _ trapped  _ or  _ forced  _ or  _ stuck  _ or whatever other awful word your brain has convinced you to believe about me because you can’t convince yourself that you are worthy of attention”

He felt himself melt as he let go of the breath he’d trapped behind his ribs. The truth hurt no less coming from her mouth as it did in his own head.

“I want to be with you for  _ you.  _ I’d much rather see you smile, sure. But if you need to lay in bed and cry, I’ll be here then too. As long as you do the same for me. We’re together, remember? You can’t get rid of me that easy” 

He leaned into her shoulder and let their hands connect in his lap. It was as if she could read the fine print at the back of his mind that he couldn’t read no matter how hard he squinted. She could effortlessly explain the complexity of his emotions like they were her own. It made him feel seen in a world where he’d very much been overlooked. All his life he’d been made to feel as if his emotions were a burden to all those around him, yet Zelda never batted an eye when he cried over a nightmare or shut down for hours at a time. She simply saw him through it, always waiting for him with an outstretched hand on the other side. He wrapped her in a hug and together they fell into the plushness of his new comforter, wiggling until they were face to face. 

“What are you staring at, hero?” she laughed softly as his eyes dilated while he tried to memorize every curve of her features in case he woke up and forgot her. 

“Are you real?” he breathed as he traced her jawline.

She laughed airily until she realized the sincerity in his voice. She rested her own hand upon the one that was exploring her face and leaned into it. 

“I used to pretend I wasn’t alone in my room,” he said, his eyes not quite looking at her, but glazed over as he looked off into the space behind her. She noticed he did that when recalling a memory or discussing his childhood. It was like he had to detach himself from reality in order to go back there. She lay quietly while he continued. 

“Time is weird when you’re all by yourself. Sometimes I would sit with my ear to the door and listen to mom’s TV. I would pretend the voices were talking to me. Sometimes I talked back. I always drew myself with a friend, even though I never really had one”

He talked slowly, not noticing the single tear that rolled down his face straight into the covers. Zelda was quick to wipe away its remnants, hoping to take with it the pain that forced it there. 

“It gets worse at night,” he explained, unconsciously gripping her tighter, “It always has. I remember...sometimes I would get that feeling of panic. Like I was supposed to be somewhere else. Or with someone else, even though I didn’t have anywhere to go. I still can’t sleep at night but...I don’t know...”  
  
She settled into his embrace as he let his broken memories rearrange around the space his newest confession had made. He’d been talking about his past more and more and each time Zelda had to hide how much it hurt her in an effort to encourage him to keep talking. He’d told her about the nights he’d spent in the hallway closet when he was younger. How it took him years to figure out his mother had been drugging him to sleep so that he would be more manageable. He talked about going days without eating, sometimes as a punishment from his father, but other times as a punishment from himself. He’d even shown her some marks on his arms and her reaction to that had been impossible to hide. He stopped talking immediately when she burst into tears and ran her fingers over the area over and over in an attempt to understand how he had gotten to that point. 

“I’m real,” she finally said when he seemed to run out of the motivation to purge his memories, “And I’m not going anywhere” 

He was content with her answer as he lay across from her, his eyes heavy with sleep. He found himself dozing off in the early mornings and evenings, having fought with insomnia until the sun rose. But he didn’t want to sleep anymore. He wanted to fall into the green of Zelda's eyes and the run the fields he found there. So he shook the sleep from his eyes and forced them to stay open. 

“Kakariko is far away,” he said groggily as she matched his slow breathing. 

“Not by plane”

“We can fly?!” The thought sent a jolt of excitement through him that had his half lidded eyes flying open as he sat up in bed. 

She nodded eagerly, “Of course we can fly!”

“I’ve never been in an airplane”

“I’ll show you everything” 

He looked so intrigued as she imagined him picturing the inside of the airport and the airplane, his eyes gliding back and forth like he was reading the description of it off the top portion of his blanket. She slipped up behind him and ran her fingers along the planes of his stomach, causing him to shiver before laughing when she reached a particularly ticklish spot. She grinned wickedly at her discovery as she dove in for more, drinking in the sounds of his laughter as he wiggled in her grasp. Eventually he found his way out of bed and into a shirt before Zelda pulled him down the stairs so she could lay out their plans to Remy who had been standing and staring inside their refrigerator as if a new food he hadn’t seen on his previous trip would appear if he looked long enough. 

“Kakariko,” he seemed to taste the word in his mouth before closing his eyes in contentment, “A warm bowl of pumpkin soup...apple pie...those new hot springs I think they installed...” his voice grew airy as he envisioned it, “That sounds sublime. Excellent choice, my dear. I can make arrangements to leave the day after tomorrow. I just need to make a few phone calls”

Zelda squealed with delight, announcing she was going to dig through her closet for a suitcase before leaving the two of them standing in the kitchen. 

“Thank you,” Link said softly as he traced the lines of the counter with an idle finger. 

“Family, remember?”

Link’s smile was faint as he stretched his back and grimaced. Remy wondered what the boy looked like without the deep set circles under his eyes. He’d never seen him without them. Link leaned on his elbow and let his face be cradled in his hand as he looked down at the counter.

“Um...have you...nevermind,” he trailed off as he made to stand from the chair so he could sit outside. How he stood the cold was beyond Remy, but he often spent long hours either in the hammock or sitting with his back to the large tree that covered half their yard in shade. He took nothing with him. Not his sketchbook or the new slate Zelda had insisted he needed but still sat charging on his bedside table. He just sat and listened to the leaves rubbing together in the branches or the distant sound of a car door shutting. Remy would catch himself watching through the kitchen window, desperately wondering what it was that he was thinking about. 

“Have I what?” Remy dug in before Link could open the door. 

He froze and looked down at his feet as he bit his lip. He let the hand that was on the door handle hang as he worked up the courage to ask. 

“Have you heard anything from my mom? Is she...is she okay? I shouldn’t have left her like that”

Remy’s heart clenched. He could see all over Link’s face the misplaced guilt he carried with him. He’d often caught himself envisioning a life where he’d found Link earlier. A timeline where he’d busted down the thin wood of their front door and carried out a tiny Link in his arms. He would think about all the memories they could have made together. All the heartache that would have been avoided. Maybe Link wouldn’t shy away from his touch then. Maybe then he wouldn’t have the thick scars on his chest that would always remind him of how little his life was valued by the people who should have valued him the most. 

“I haven’t. But I could call if you’d like me to. I’m not holding you hostage here, Link. If you want to go see her-”

“No!” Link said quickly before cringing at the sound of his raised voice. He apologized a hundred times under his breath before continuing, “No, I just...I don’t know, my brain is so foggy...”

Remy’s eyes wandered to the pill bottles on the counter as Link squeezed his hands and tried to put into words the impossible feelings that had encapsulated his heart since he saw his mother, but he came up short. It was almost physically painful for him to try at that point. His mind was so jumbled he could barely think straight some days. 

“Hey...I got a call to refill these yesterday, but they’re still full?” Remy asked as he showed the bottle to Link. They were the mood stabilizers his doctor had prescribed. Link’s face was expressionless as he listened to the little pills tussle around inside their plastic cage. All he could see when he looked at them was his mother’s nightstand. The same bottles with stranger’s names on the outside. The way she’d take one out and crush it up when he wasn’t looking and add it to his food. The way they would either make her more human or send her into a spiraling rage. He opened his mouth to respond but the words clung to the inside of his throat.

“They can’t help you if you don’t take them. There’s no shame in it”

Link felt his face flush with emotion as he clenched his fists. He thought about what he’d done the last few days. All the times Zelda had tried to pull him from bed only to give up. He was becoming his mother and Remy was playing the role of his father, trying to medicate him into normalcy. Was he easier to tolerate that way? Would they grow tired of him when they saw how defective he really was? A torrent of negativity swirled inside the mess that was his fractured mind until all he could feel was discomfort at the fact he dared to be in the same room with anyone else at all. Remy stepped forward when he sensed the shift in him. He reached out a hand to steady him, but Link jerked away, slamming into the glass door in the process. He could see his father’s face flash before him, the deadness in his eyes right before a phantom pain shot across his ribs. He ripped the door open and stumbled outside, leaving Remy reeling and confused at what he'd done to trigger that type of behavior.

“What did you do?!” Zelda’s voice had his head snapping back towards the house. She had a bundle of clothes in her hands that dropped to the floor when she saw Link with his head in his hands outside. 

“He hasn’t been taking his medicine. It’s no wonder he’s been acting the way he has. Don’t let me be the bad guy here, Zelda. Please back me up”

Zelda glared at him before picking up the pill bottle and looking at the date. It was true it should have been empty by then, but she felt only intense empathy as she pieced together the things he’d been telling her at night when she snuck into his room just to lay with him. 

_ They told me it was a game called the No Talking Game and I was the only one who had to play. If I lost, my dad would hit me or make me hold my hands over my mouth. He would tell me I was bad and that other kids never lost. Only me.  _

She closed her eyes and held the bottle in her hand as she took a deep breath. 

_ He was always bringing home new pills for her to try. Sometimes they worked, sometimes she would just sleep for hours. When she would run out of one bottle, she’d either crash or get angry. She broke my nose once when I walked into a bowl she’d thrown. Dad said it was my fault for being in the way. I didn’t go to school for so long after that that they did a home visit and I had to lie and say I fell down our front steps. I was terrified she would get in trouble for it.  _

She remembered the night he confessed that to her. He’d taken her hand and ran it down the length of his nose. There was a noticeable bump she’d never felt before. It made her sick to her stomach to think of how many other physical reminders he had to carry with him. 

“It reminds him of his mom,” she finally said, opening her eyes to see the shape of Link lumped in the hammock. She turned to Remy who stood perplexed as he watched her, “I think...he thinks we’re trying to fix him which means that we think he’s broken. You just have to be patient with him, Dad. He looks for the motive behind everything because he’s been lied to his whole life”

“How do you know that?” 

She breathed as she sat the bottle back down and unlatched the back door. 

“Because he told me” 

“He doesn’t even talk to his therapist” Remy folded his arms as she rolled her eyes at him. 

“He talks to me,” she tried to end it there but Remy put a hand on her arm to stall her. 

“Zelda…” his voice dripped with concern and she let her hand fall off the handle to look at him.

“What?”

He pulled her into a loose hug and she sighed, laying her head down in the crook of his arm. 

“Ms. Leta suggested to let you go to therapy too,” he stated quietly as he held her. 

“Why?”  
  
“Because you’re trying to carry it all for him and I don’t want you to end up hurt at the end of it because you’ve given more than you’re able. I know you. You’d let him have your lung if you could find someone to cut it out for you. You’ve always been like that. It’s just extra with him” 

She squeezed his arm and pulled away from him with a soft smile on her face. 

“Didn’t you try to do the same thing with mom?” she asked, knowing the memory would cause him pain, but also knowing it would help him understand. He looked past her at the trees and felt the ghost of grief pass through him again. When the cancer had entered more organs than she was able to function without, he pleaded that they take from him what she needed. It had been a fruitless plea of course, but he’d have let them strip him of anything if it meant it gave her one more day. He nodded and kissed Zelda on the top of the head, his words suddenly lost to him. 

“I don’t mind going to therapy if it would help. Goddess knows I like talking anyway. Talking to someone who literally can’t escape me? What a dream!” she joked, causing a soft laugh to escape him, the tension between them dissipating as they laughed together. 

“Take him a blanket, he’s going to get pneumonia,” Remy said as he walked into the living room, throwing one at her as she slipped out the back door. 

Once again he watched from the window as she crawled into the hammock with him, tucking his frail frame into the blanket. He could see her talking to him and him replying, his hand never leaving hers. He felt a stray tear fall down his cheek and plop onto the smooth counter, leaving a small puddle to reflect his own face back at him. 

“Oh, Leora. You’d be so proud of our little girl,” he told the still air of the empty kitchen, “Everyone always says she’s just like me. She’s loud. Impulsive. Perhaps a touch too confident,” he laughed as he saw Zelda smiling at Link who smiled back just as bright at whatever she had just said, “But I see nothing but you when I look at her...now look at me talking to myself, I’ve gone mad” he said as he wiped the last tear from his eyes when he noticed them walking back towards the house. 

Link approached Remy and immediately apologized for the way he’d acted, even managing to hold eye contact for a few seconds before looking away. Whatever Zelda had told him had brought a new light back to his eyes, even if only for the moment. 

“It’s not a crime to raise your voice,” Remy responded, to which Zelda cleared her throat and raised a brow expectantly. “I mean, it’s alright. No harm done” 

Link let out a long breath and looked at Zelda who started to giggle. 

“What have you two got planned now?” Remy asked, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the way they side eyed each other. 

“Link doesn’t have winter clothes,” Zelda said innocently, bouncing on the balls of her feet, “Aaaaand well, Kakariko is quite cold. If he got sick...well, that would be awful”

“If only there were someone who could go shopping for him,” Remy lamented dramatically as he planted the back of his hand onto his forehead, “this is truly going to ruin our vacation” 

Link watched them, his eyes darting back and forth as Zelda worked her magic. All she had to do was flutter her lashes and Remy was handing over his wallet while trying not to smile. 

“Get a coat too. And gloves. And a hat. If you really got pneumonia they would throw me in jail I think”

“They would?” Link chimed in suddenly, his tone of voice sincere. 

Zelda hugged him tightly and started to laugh, “Don’t listen to him, he’s half senile already” 

“My darling Zelda,” he let his voice waiver, now fully committed to playing the role, “It seems like years since I last saw her face”

“Dad!” 

“Sometimes it’s like I can still hear her voice” 

“Dad!!” Zelda pulled Link with her out of the kitchen and up the hall to get dressed, but not before Link mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ as he was pulled around the corner. Remy nodded at him with a smile and sent a quick thank you to whoever was listening that his daughter seemed to contain a wisdom well past her age despite her more childish mannerisms. 

“Perhaps I named her aptly after all,” he told the bowl of fruit on the counter before cringing at himself, “Gods, maybe I am senile”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that the end notes are my favorite thing to write? I hope this chapter reads well because I would literally write three sentences and then find myself in the kitchen or upstairs. My attention span and my motivation have been really low. 
> 
> Also, I was totally projecting onto Link, but I absolutely get lonely for no reason when I'm around people. I'll have a little panic attack thinking I need to be somewhere else or with someone else, but I live alone and there's no one to go home to. I get here and I'm like, "um, well that panic was pointless" and just sit and listen to my ceiling fan. I hope this is relatable to literally anyone else or that part won't make any sense lol 
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving! This is my first year living on my own and I'm totally relieved I don't have to awkwardly hide from family right now, even though we wouldn't have travelled anyway. I'll shut up now.


	24. Chapter 24

Remy realized long ago that one of his favorite parts of parenthood was watching Zelda experience things for the first time. He got the same warm feeling watching Link traverse the airport and subsequently the airplane. He was clearly overstimulated and kept a vice grip on Zelda’s hand until security tore them apart, but his body language did not speak of an impending panic attack. There was no quick breathing or darting eyes. He wasn’t squeezing his hands or creasing his brow. Instead, he was wide-eyed and hyper vigilant, often pulling Zelda close to him when a large group of people walked near. He wasn’t sure if it was to make himself feel safe or if some part of him was trying to protect her from a perceived threat, but it was precious all the same. He hung back just to watch them. It had made all the phone calls and permission forms he’d had to sign in order to take Link outside of the territory they lived in worth it. In the end, Ms. Leta had agreed to call it a “therapeutic getaway” and made him promise to bring her a jar of Kakariko spices.

Zelda insisted he sit near the window once they’d boarded the plane and he quickly discovered why. Link was fixated the entire time, watching as they picked up speed, his mouth opening slightly when they lifted off the ground. His quiet entrancement was peaceful and even Zelda, who usually talked his ear off the entire time, was content to watch as the clouds reflected off the brilliant blue of his eyes. 

“What are you thinking about?” she finally asked him. 

He turned with a soft expression and smiled at her. 

“It’s like a dream,” he said tenderly, “I never thought…” he didn’t finish his thought, but he didn’t have to. The comfort of their shared glances and the things he didn’t have to say because she already knew the words before he could think them draped around his shoulders like a weighted blanket, reminding him he was safe and real and valued. She grabbed his hand and pulled it in her lap, leaning her head on Remy to rest her eyes for the rest of the trip. 

But Link stayed awake and watched as the clouds drifted above them as they descended, and gently patted Zelda awake when it was time to leave. After they navigated the new airport and Remy rented a car they made the rest of the journey by road. Old Kakariko lay nestled in between the split in a jagged mountain range and was only accessible by vehicle and then by a horse drawn carriage the rest of the way. Link and Zelda cuddled in the dark back seat sipping on hot chocolate and watching videos on Zelda’s slate while Remy cruised the long highway a little slower than necessary just to drag it out. He would occasionally catch eyes with Zelda in the rearview mirror and she would grin at him shyly with Link on her shoulder, his face lit up by the small blue screen. It was so domestic and so normal that he could almost feel the weight of the past few weeks lifting off of him. No one would have guessed the bright-eyed boy at his daughter’s side was drowning in his own blood only weeks before, slowly dying in Remy’s arms as he screamed for help over the slate. He pushed the thought from his mind and let it sit blissfully empty, letting himself go on autopilot as he turned the curvy roads of the highway. 

They arrived at the restored traditional inn shortly after midnight and hauled their bags up the old wooden steps. Their room was small, sporting two plush beds, one of which Zelda immediately claimed by throwing her bags on top of the intricate quilts. Link stood awkwardly holding his own bag in front of him and Remy laughed internally at his obvious plight. If all he had to worry about now was picking the wrong bed in front of his girlfriend’s father then he considered the trip a success already.

“I can...I’ll just…” he sat down timidly on the small couch in the entryway as Remy lay across the other bed, his back aching from a long day of travel. 

“Go ahead, Link. I know you’ve been having secret sleepovers at home anyway. And for Goddess sakes I'm right here,” he let out a belly laugh. 

Link’s face blushed scarlet and Zelda threw a decorative pillow at him before inviting Link to lay across their bed with a tilt of her head. 

“He’s just so warm when he sleeps!” she said as he lay on his stomach beside her, their feet dangling off the bed as they lay horizontally on the soft mattress. Zelda had her slate open to a list of attractions in Kakariko, already planning the next day’s adventure, “It’s like having a heated blanket”

“Well there better be no nonsense going on over there with your _heated blanket_ ,” he waved his finger around diplomatically in the air without even bothering to open his eyes, “I expect you’ve been perfectly appropriate thus far”

“You’re _ruining_ my vacation,” she groaned as she buried her face in the blanket just behind her slate and she opened up her message rune using muscle memory.

_ I promise we’ve been good, Dad,  _ she messaged, the awkwardness at the back of her throat making her want to jump out the window instead of continuing their conversation verbally. 

Remy slid his hand around blindly on the covers as he searched for his own slate after hearing it vibrate. He peaked an eye open and cracked a smile when he saw it was from Zelda. She had her face buried waiting for his response. He laughed out loud and let his slate fall with his hand as he exhaled, turning his head to look at her. While she was still reeling in mortification at having to tell her dad she hadn’t done anything uncouth with her boyfriend, Link had fallen soundly asleep, having missed the entire exchange. 

_ I can have Impa give you to birds and the bees talk if you want,  _ he messaged back with a winking face icon. He heard her noise of disgust and shortly after, his face made contact with another of Zelda’s pillows. 

“Keep them coming, I like extra. I don’t have a  _ boyfriend  _ to snuggle with,” he playfully swooned as he cradled the pillow to his chest. 

“Ugh!” Zelda flopped on her back before turning to notice Link. She reached out to wake him, but Remy made a noise to stop her. 

“But he’s been asleep for days,” she complained, “I want to ask him what he wants to do tomorrow” 

Remy rolled off his bed and draped a blanket over Link before tilting his head, motioning for Zelda to follow him. She stood hesitantly and together they walked back down the steps. Remy found an old cappuccino machine in the corner and made them both a warm drink after depositing a few rupees in the slot and together they sat at the back of a booth in the empty dining space. Remy exhaled slowly, letting his breath steal the warmth from his drink as it rose in the cold air. 

“Do you remember much about your mother’s death?” he asked. 

Zelda’s face screwed in confusion as she nursed her own drink. 

“No. Why on earth are we talking about this  _ now?” _

“Because there was a time when I also slept for days. I had to have my sister, your aunt Raia, come down from Hebra to help me make sure you didn’t set the house on fire. I just couldn’t get out of bed”

Zelda’s normally bright eyes were downcast as she tried to remember those days. She knew her Aunt Raia, but only through pictures online or postcards. She didn’t remember spending those days with her. She had been only seven when her mother passed. She remembered bits and pieces, like the last days at the hospital or smelling bright flowers at her funeral, but she didn’t remember her father not being there. The memories weren't particularly difficult for her. It was more of a detached sadness. Most of her memories from being little were happy ones that included her father. But she knew it had hurt him tremendously to lose her mother, though he’d never let her see him in that way. It hurt her to think of it now. 

“I’m telling you this because the sleeping he’s been doing isn’t real rest. It’s an escape. When you finally get up, you’re just as tired, if not more so, than when you laid down in the first place. I’m not going to sit and pretend I know exactly what he’s feeling. But I know what it was like for me. Let him rest. We’ll get up when he gets up tomorrow. Don’t rush him”

Zelda wiped a stray tear on her sleeve and Remy reached across and grabbed her hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze before letting go. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you, sweetheart”

“It’s not that it’s just…” she put her cup down and pulled her legs up in the booth so that she could cradle them, “Thank you. For being a good dad, I guess”

“You guess,” he laughed, his eyes crinkling as she physically struggled with the serious air of their conversation. They’d always had a close relationship but he’d rarely had to have intense conversations with her. He’d always spared her the drama of that. But it was important to him for her to understand these things now that she was living them through Link and was able to process them better than when she was a child.

“I mean, for doing that for me. Letting me be little. Making sure it didn't hurt me. For helping Link too. Sometimes I think about Link’s dad and it just...I don’t think I could have made it. You know, growing up like that. He’s told me horrible things. They were so ugly to him. He’s so strong, Dad. He thinks he’s such a coward, but he made it through that. I had you and he didn’t have anybody”

“It’s not about strength, Zelda,” he said.

She lifted her weeping eyes to question him. 

“In your darkest moments, your heart still beats, whether you want it to or not. The world keeps spinning and you have no choice but to keep going forward. Besides, he has us now, doesn’t he? And we have each other. Always.”

“Always,” she smiled back at him.

“Now that that’s over, let’s check out the snack situation around here. I need something to eat before I sleep, I’m starving”

“Don’t say that, you’re not starving!” she quickly corrected him, her mind shooting straight back to Link, how he described the hollowness of his stomach when he’d gone without for long periods of time. 

“Okay, well…” Remy said slowly, trying to puzzle out what had upset her, “I am very hungry. Is that better?”

“You’re a nightmare”

“I thought I was a ‘good dad’ like you said!” he laughed at her. 

She bit on a grin as she rolled her eyes like usual and slid from the booth, tucking a napkin in her drink.

“I want pizza”

“At midnight?”  
  
“Is that a problem?” she shot back, offering her hand to help him from his seat. 

“No, Your Highness”

She didn’t let him see her smile as she turned her back to him. 

* * *

Link woke up with a headache that he tried to hide, but Zelda sniffed him out quicker than he could formulate an excuse as to why he was still in bed holding his head long after everyone else had already woken up. 

“My body just hurts,” he groaned as she sat beside him, rubbing his arm, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me”

Zelda’s hand shot to his forehead, but all she felt was his clammy skin. 

“You’re not running a fever…” she pondered, “I hope you’re not getting sick” 

But Remy knew what they both didn’t. That his body was processing his trauma alongside his mind, draining him from the inside out. Remy had spent his own hours of insomnia up reading on his slate about children from abusive households, trying to understand Link’s attachment to his mother and what he could expect moving forward. It was as if a bell rang in his mind when he heard Link’s complaint and he connected the dots. 

“I’m going to run and grab some medicine. Just keep an eye on him,” Remy said as he threw on his jacket. Zelda gave him a deadpan look that said, “ _ Is that not what I’m doing”  _ and he chuckled as he flew out the door. 

While he was gone, Zelda pulled Link’s head in her lap and played with his hair, massaging his scalp as he lay peacefully.

“I’ve never been on vacation before” he said so quietly she almost missed it. 

“Another first we get to do together”

He pulled the quilt over his shoulders, keeping his eyes closed as a gentle, but unpleasant rhythm pounded in his temples. 

“I wanted to see the castle when I was little,” he kept talking.

“That’s really not that far from here. You can take a train, I think. But it’s all a replication. The original was so damaged from the calamity that I think it eventually fell down”

“I wanted a sword”

She smiled, imagining a little Link swinging around a replica Master Sword. She’d had her own when she was little. She would loudly declare to anyone who was near that she was the warrior Princess Zelda that would save everyone from the “clammy bee” as her father lovingly described she had called it. He’d let her pronounce it that way for years until someone at school corrected her and she came home to scold him, despite him denying doing anything wrong. 

“My dad said I couldn’t go. I asked every year on my birthday. He didn’t tell me why. He just said no. I’ve only ever been in the city a few times. The hospital was the longest time I'd been away from home by myself. Or ever, I guess”  
  
She kept rubbing his scalp as he talked, knowing the trust it took him to share those things with her. Even though he would occasionally be physically affectionate with her, she could always tell it was difficult for him to initiate. His love language had evolved into storytelling and she lived for the private moments they shared just like that, with Link letting her hold some of his sorrow for him. She knew there was a lot he hadn’t shared and a lot he probably didn’t remember, but anything she could hold for him she did gladly. 

“I don’t want to ruin your day”

“Link, you’re not ruining my day. I need to record that on audio and have it installed in your slate playing on a loop,” she sighed.

“I will be okay if you want to go out with your Dad”

“I’m not leaving you!”  
  
He rolled on his back so that she could look down at his face. Her face was dead set in a look of pure determination, but it lightened when she saw the look on him. He wasn’t crying, his eyes were a bit watery from his headache, but he otherwise looked peaceful, if not just a little tired. 

“Zelda, it’s okay. Really. I’m just tired. Go have fun with your Dad. I brought my slate so you can send me pictures. Maybe I’ll be better in a few hours, I just really want to go back to sleep”

She was about to argue with him when she heard Remy opening the door with his card key. He rattled around inside a plastic bag until he pulled a bottle of pills, stopping when he remembered what they had triggered last time. 

“It’s just over the counter, for aches and pains,” he said cautiously. 

“It’s okay,” Link said, sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck, “I can...the other ones are in my bag. I’ll just take them all together. Thank you”

“You packed your other ones?” Zelda's voice was sweetly laced in disbelief as Link nodded slightly and pointed to his bag. She opened the front zipper and found both of his pill bottles packed with his socks. 

She handed them to him and he read the side slowly, letting the print of his name calm his inner demons before opening them and pouring out his dosage. Remy handed him the pain pills and he swallowed them all with a bottle of water Remy also pulled from his bag. When Link noticed them staring at him, he looked down awkwardly. 

“I do want to get better...I just have to fight myself sometimes. I’m sorry” 

Remy pat him on the shoulder before plopping down in an armchair across the room. 

“Hey kid, I get it. We’re all just doing our best around here. No need for an apology”  
  
Zelda leaned into his shoulder and he slightly nudged her back. 

“Are you sure?” she asked him before he laid back down.

“I’m positive”

“Positively keeping a secret from me,” Remy butted in, “What are you planning over there?”

“Link said he’s fine to sleep while we go out,” she said hesitantly, meeting Remy’s eyes across the room. He could see the concern practically oozing from her pores as she begged him with her eyes to say that they needed to stay together. 

“I don’t see a problem with that. Do you have your slate, Link?”

“Yes, sir,” Link said as he nestled back under the covers. He pointed to his bag and Zelda opened it up just to make sure it really was there. He hadn’t touched it in days. 

“Well, the gentleman has requested rest and rest he shall receive. What are we doing today, my love?” Remy raised both his brows in challenge to Zelda who was now pouting as she sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Oh, he will be fine! He has his slate, he knows how to use it, he will call if he needs anything, won’t you son?”  
  
But Link was already back asleep, his hand that was in Zelda’s completely limp. Zelda’s head fell in defeat and Remy had to laugh at her as he smiled fondly.

“Let him rest, Zelda. It’s good for him. You’ve been attached at the hip for months now. You’re going to turn into conjoined twins”

She huffed as she stood up and started getting dressed for the day.

“The last time I left him, he ended up in the hospital” she said solemnly as she watched herself button her denim jacket in the mirror. 

“Then it’s even more important for you to break that cycle of thinking. He is going to be okay. I promise. The worst thing he will have when you see him again is bedhead”

“What are you now, a therapist?” she tried to sound aggravated, but he could see the slight upturn of her mouth underneath her scowl.

“You know, I think I might have missed my calling now that you say that”

She threw a box of tissues at him before finishing getting dressed. Just as they were about to walk out the door, she hurried over to his bag and fished out his slate, setting it on the ringtone setting and placing it beside him in bed so he could reach it if he needed it. Her eyes drifted over to the small pin icon on the messaging screen when she triple checked if he still had their contacts. 

_ He’s not going to need that,  _ she repeated to herself over and over as they walked out the door,  _ he’s going to be fine. He’s going to be fine.  _

Little did she know that Remy sent his own prayers for Link’s safety as they walked down the old wooden steps. Between the two of them, he had enough love and prayer to sleep soundly for a week if he needed it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, I got my groove back you guys. Enjoy this daily update. I'm even a chapter ahead now. I shouldn't promise anything, but here I am. 
> 
> Also, my process is that I usually get inspired and open up the notes on my phone and make an outline before I write the chapter. It almost always goes off the outline at some point, but it gives me a skeleton to build on. But sometimes I get the spark and just write as I imagine it in my head and that was this chapter and the next one. I always feel so accomplished after chapters like these. 
> 
> Now I desperately need to stay in a hotel. I've also never been in an airplane and had to literally watch a Youtube video of a take off. I'm lame. Also, I hope no one thinks Zelda is a brat. I have a really sarcastic relationship with my dad too. It’s our love language. She loves him, she’s just feisty. 
> 
> There's my author's notes that no one asked for. Enjoy!


	25. Chapter 25

Though they did end up thoroughly enjoying the morning and each other’s company, both Zelda and Remy found themselves drifting back to talking about Link. By lunch time, Zelda was actively making up excuses to go back to the inn and Remy couldn’t help but finally indulge her. 

“Fine, I’m going to go to the hot springs for a while. Message me when you get there, okay?” 

She was out of her seat before he finished his sentence. For once, she didn’t stop to stare at the long string lights that were hung from house to house in the ancient little village. She didn’t savor the smell of cinnamon or pumpkin in the air. All she thought about was Link waking alone and wondering if she’d finally left him. She fumbled with the card key and tumbled inside the inn room, her eyes scanning it for any sign of life. Her heart fell to her feet when she noticed the empty bed. 

“Link?” she gasped, already panicking, “Link?!”  
  
But she made herself be quiet when she noticed the sounds of water running and put her ear to the bathroom door. He was in the shower. She cursed herself for overreacting and put a hand to her chest, willing it to slow down. He stepped out of the doorway moments later, only a towel around his waist. She made a strangled noise as she turned her head and he bumped back into the doorway as soon as he saw her. 

“Gods, I didn’t know you were here, I’m sorry,” he said, his own voice constricting with embarrassment. 

It was awkward between them until Zelda started to slowly laugh and Link let out the tension in his chest. 

“Come here,” she chuckled, rising from the bed. He walked timidly towards her, one hand in a vice grip on the towel around his waist. 

“Let me put some pants on first”

He grabbed his bag and quickly dressed his lower half, opting for the dark jeans Zelda had picked for him instead of his staple joggers. He ruffled his wet hair in the towel and walked back out to meet her. She stood at the edge of the bed, a look of contemplation on her face. When he approached her, her eyes were only on the scars on his chest. They raised from his skin like a mountain range on a topographic map. But now that the redness had mostly faded, she could see other wounds there too. Signatures left by his father either recently or long in the past. He had several small indentations along his rib cage and some smaller, jagged lines across the softness of his stomach. She traced them gently, feeling as he flexed his abdominal musicals in response to her touch. 

“I’m okay,” he said quietly, “It doesn’t hurt anymore”

She wrapped her arms around him and traced the lines of his shoulder blades with her warm hands as she listened to his heart slowing from its frantic beating. She loved that she could physically feel the effect she had on him in the rhythm of his heart. She could escalate and calm it with just a few touches or words. After a few breaths he held her back just as tightly and laid his head down on hers. 

“Hey Zelda,” he whispered.

“Hey Link,” she smiled into his chest, her own heart skipping a beat at their usual greeting to one another. 

“I think I’m hungry” 

She let go of him only long enough to pull him down for a fierce kiss that had him gasping for air and wanting for more at the same time. He’d been starved of affection since birth. There were countless times he reached for his mother only to be pushed away or told to give her space. At night he used to hold his pillow with his back against a wall, trying desperately to feel the warmth of another person in either of them. But then Zelda had come and stoked those coals until they were a raging fire within him. He never wanted to let go, but he had to when they eventually tumbled to the bed and he felt her crawl nearly on top of him. He made a particularly embarrassing noise as she brushed across the front of his pants and he pulled away from her slightly, leaving her to study him as she caught her own breath. 

“Zelda I can’t…” he stuttered, sitting up to rearrange himself, “I don’t, uh, it’s just, I-”

“It’s okay,” she breathed, feeling her skin burning from her chest to her cheeks, “I didn’t mean to, uh…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“I’m not, uh...I mean, I’m not ready for  _ that _ first yet,” he mumbled into his hands that he’d balled at his face, “I’m sorry, I’m being awkward. You probably didn’t even want, I mean...ugh” he gave up talking in favor of studying the pattern of the ornate rug at his feet. 

“No! It’s okay!” she shuffled towards him and leaned into his side, “I’m not either, I just got carried away. I’m really sorry. I’m glad you told me”

“So it would be for you too?” he asked shyly, peeking out at her between his fingers. .

“Be what?”

“A first”

She choked on her own bashfulness at having accidentally broached the subject twice in two days, but it was definitely easier with Link than it was with her father. She felt so comfortable around him, it was like he was simply a part of her. But she wasn’t quite ready for the direction she’d steered them in either and now that the moment had passed, she was thankful he’d ended it where he did. 

“Mhm, yeah. It would be. Is that okay?”

“Of course. I um, well...it was nice,” he winced at himself again as his cheeks still burned. 

“Nice,” she grinned back at him with her own blush, tucking her stray hair behind her ear, “It  _ was _ nice” 

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and started softly laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” she laughed along with him, soothed by the gentle tones of it. 

“What if your Dad walked in?”

“We would both go to the spirit realm,” she answered immediately in an even tone. 

“Just like that?” he chuckled, pulling her closer. 

“Immediately. Like a lightning strike. Zero to one hundred. Just dead”

He fell into giggles and she joined right along with him. When they finally managed to compose themselves she shot off the bed and started digging through his bag.

“What are you doing?” he asked as his laughter subsided. 

“I want to see you in that nice sweater we bought,” she said as she threw a few things to the side, on the hunt for the one specific thing she wanted. 

“Should I get used to you dressing me?”

“Absolutely you should” she grinned wickedly as she tossed it at him. He threw it over his head and she was on him again, but this time running her fingers through his damp hair, arranging it in a few different ways before finding one she liked.

“How are you so beautiful?” she sighed as she admired her work.

His face was so serene as he looked back at her. The bags under his eyes had lessened. The ghost of all the bruises were finally gone. He looked healthy, alive, and most of all  _ happy. _

_ “ _ I love you,” he replied simply and it was all she needed to hear. 

* * *

His eyes were round as full moons as he followed her hand in hand around Kakariko. He wanted to stop and look at everything, marveling quietly at every trinket or item he held in his hands. The village had been kept in traditional form despite thousands of years going by, with only the addition of roads for easier access to its outside routes that had once been used for trade. 

He wanted to touch everything too and she let him, content to watch him explore this new space like a child might. She offered to buy him anything that caught his eye, but he immediately refused each time. Eventually she was able to talk him into letting her buy a necklace with the emblem of the triforce on it. He thanked her a thousand times as he held it, running the cold metal over in his hands. She sneakily took a picture of him and sent it to Remy to let him know he was okay.

“You love history, don’t you?” she asked as they sat down on the simple wooden deck of a small pond in the middle of the village. Greenery kept the little area secluded from the crowded walkways, an ancient Goddess statue looking down on them serenely as they got comfortable at her feet. The water was too cold to dangle their own feet in the water so they crossed their legs and leaned on one another. 

“I like stories” 

“Evidently your parents did too. Hence your name”

His mouth lifted slightly at the corners but fell as quick as it came. He kept his eyes on shiny gold metal and the way the sky reflected on its surface. 

“I’m no hero,” he said quietly, watching as his words turned to fog before him and were carried off in the wind, “It’s just a common name”

“You are to me,” she replied, stilling the nervous bouncing in his leg with a hand on his knee. He responded with a deep breath as he hung his new possession around his neck. 

“The Hero of the Wild used to pray here,” she said, looking up to the statue, “The Goddess would grant him strength or stamina to aid in his journey to save the Princess”

“He didn’t save the Princess,” he argued.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but he was fixated on the statue's face, almost as if he could see something she could not. 

“What do you mean?”

“She didn’t need saving. She just waited for him. They had to do it together. They needed each other”

When his eyes finally found her, he wondered how he’d ever taken them off of her at all. He’d lost everything. His home. His family. His self identity and almost his life. For years he’d been told he was worthless, a burden, a curse that had befallen his parents. Every step he’d made was in the wrong direction, every word he said was laced in poison meant to harm them, even when all he had ever wanted was to be close to them. But Zelda was taking his story and retelling it. She held his pain in her hands and showed him the hidden things he couldn’t see; the things that made him human. That made him worthy. She found the hollow spaces in his heart the neglect had carved away and she filled them with laughter and touch and memories just like the one he was building now. Not memories that had him sitting up at night clutching a phantom pain, but those that would carry him forward. With her, he could almost see a future with him in it. Suddenly, a bell rang in the distance and disrupted the spell that had been cast over them. 

“What is that?” he asked, looking around to find the source of the sound. .

“They stop and pray to Hylia when the bell dings. It signifies the time of day they returned to the village after vanquishing the calamity for good”

“Should we pray then?” 

She smiled and nodded, bowing her head. He reached for her hands and he let his eyes fall closed. He never asked for anything when he prayed as he knew he didn’t deserve anything in return. When he’d been little, his version of prayer had been more like a conversation with himself. He’d tell Hylia all about his day, often falling asleep mid sentence. But now, he thanked her for helping him find Zelda. He sent a prayer of thanks for every moment they’d spent together. He’d wanted to ask for more, but he knew he had no right to make demands when he’d found himself questioning the Goddess' love for him after so many years spent locked alone behind a closed door, nursing his bruised body and heart. Eventually he’d stopped praying at all. 

But now he felt a warmth grow inside him and he opened his eyes to see the serene face of the statue still gazing down on him. He looked down at his chest, almost expecting to see something there, but it was just the plush fabric of his sweater brushing against his skin. He looked up at the statue with a question in his eyes and he could almost swear he saw her smile back at him before Zelda lifted her head and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“You said you were hungry?”

He nodded and grinned, still rubbing the odd warm spot on his chest. 

“I’m...yes. I’m really hungry now for some reason"  
  
“Let’s go find a gallon of pumpkin soup and some bread. I love when they give you bread,” she sighed in contentment, already imaging the warm pastry in her hands. 

“And I-”

“Love you,” she stole the words from him, jumping up to kiss them from his lips as he took her hand and let her lead him down the path. They ended up messaging Remy and meeting at a small restaurant with outdoor dining, the pagoda above them lined in tiny lanterns with Sheikah design. Zelda had giggled when Link completely missed the waitress asking him what he wanted to drink, having been too entranced in the scenery to filter out all the noise around him.

“Water, thank you,” he said as he pulled his glasses from his back pocket to read the menu. 

“Zelda, who is this studious lad you’ve brought to dinner and where is Link? Are those jeans? Did you finally rip your sweat pants?” Remy joked as Link laughed through his nervousness, “You look handsome, son. I can see Zelda got a hold of your hair too. If you ever want a cut, just let me know and I’ll take you” 

“Don’t you dare,” Zelda threatened him with a small loaf of bread before looking at Link, “I mean, you can do what you like, it’s your body, but also...don’t you dare. Look how it curls at the ends”

“I like it too,” he told her as he took the bread from her hands and broke it in half so he could have some. His empty stomach growled at him as the warm baked good almost melted in his mouth. 

“Oh! Reminds me, I have something for you,” Remy said, rummaging around in his jacket pockets before pulling out a small box. Link watched Zelda for her reaction before realizing the box was for him. 

“Me?”

“No, it’s for whoever this handsome devil is sitting here at the table. Of course it’s for you. Don’t get too excited, it’s more like business, really. Go ahead” 

“Business?” the box felt heavy in his hands, but at Zelda’s silent insistence, he finally managed to open it. Inside sat a single silver key on a keychain in the shape of the Master Sword. 

“It’s to the house. Figured it might be helpful once everything goes back to normal and we’re all on different schedules. It’s your home too and I want you to feel comfortable to come and go as you need to. Just always let me know where you’re going so I don’t worry about you”

The three of them went quiet as Link looked at the small key. Zelda watched as his breaths got deeper and deeper until it resulted in him having to wipe the wetness building on his eyes. 

“Thank you,” he said, his voice cracking with the rush of emotion that washed over him.

“You’re welcome,” Remy said warmly, touched at how such a small gesture seemed to mean so much to the boy. 

“For everything,” Link spoke up louder, wiping his face again as another tear rolled down his cheek, “For letting me stay with you before everything happened. For buying me things and bringing me here. For staying at the hospital with me. For not kicking me out. I don’t know what I would have done without you guys. I would have been lost. I’ve never...I’ve never had  _ this _ before,” he vaguely made a gesture that encompassed the three of them, “I mean, thank you for letting me be in your family. I wish I could repay you, I’m sorry I’m-”

“Stop!” Remy and Zelda said at the same time.

“You don’t have to apologize for needing help, Link. It’s okay. Family is found just as easy as it is made and there is no other soul in this world that fits into our strangeness as well as you do. I think we would be the ones lost without you now. Okay?”

Then it was Zelda who teared up at her father’s words and Remy followed right along after. Link nodded and gripped the key tightly in his hand and offered Remy his napkin. Remy laughed as he took it and blotted at his eyes. 

“Oh Gods, if that’s the reaction to the house key, what will you do when I buy you a car? Because that’s next”

“A car?!” Link’s entire face blanched and Zelda burst into laughter, “You can’t!”

“Oh yes I can,” Remy nodded as Link’s mouth fell open. 

“I don’t know how to drive!”

“I’ll teach you!” Zelda nearly sang, her eyes so bright they mirrored the lanterns that shone all around them. 

“Over my dead body,” Remy snorted as Zelda looked at him, clearly offended, “I mean, my literal dead body. Don’t let her teach you Link, you’ll kill half of Hyrule”

“I don’t need anymore triggers for my PTSD,” Link joked, stopping to watch their reaction. 

Both Remy and Zelda broke into genuine laughter and he joined in until his mind drifted off to the many nights he’d spent daydreaming moments just like that one. While other children envisioned different scenarios to play with their friends, he had pictured birthday parties where he actually had presents to open instead of a pack of markers his mother had picked up as an afterthought at the store. He had dreamt of a father that would carry him on his shoulders and let him reach for leaves on branches of trees he’d never be able to climb on his own. He used to draw his family in the fake scenarios he’d created in his mind and pray that the Goddess would hear him and make it real. Somehow, after all he’d been through, he thought perhaps they had finally listened after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always type "after all" as one word and my Google Doc suggested changing it to "Adderall" and I was like, "Yes, computer. I probably do need medication leave me alone" 
> 
> I find it humorous that I have this saved as "zelink oneshot" in my Google Docs and its literally 150 pages long. Hope you guys enjoyed the fluff! I still made them cry, but it was happy tears! Happy! I promise! Also, I went WAY out of my comfort zone and added some sexual tension because they are teenagers and he was basically naked and I had to. But we learned a different lesson instead. Look at those communication skills!


	26. Chapter 26

They stayed in Kakariko several more days until real life called them home. Link had his ups and downs, going quiet for stretches of time unannounced, but they didn’t question him on it. Zelda was simply a hand to hold then; an anchor to keep him from sinking deeper each time. It made the moments where he was truly present even more significant. He would join in their ribbing and even be silly at times and it left Zelda's cheeks sore from all the smile it caused. Once they arrived home, the rest of their winter break went by uneventfully and they found themselves counting down the days until school restarted. 

“Can’t we just be online forever?” Zelda grumbled as she gathered her scattered school supplies from around the house. 

“It’s your senior year, you need to finish it out,” Remy had said quite possibly one hundred times when she inevitably complained again.

Link hadn’t voiced his opinion on the subject until Zelda squeezed it out of him one night when she snuck into his room again. They lay facing each other despite the room being enveloped in darkness, their legs tangled together along with their hands. 

“Are you nervous?” she asked quietly, having wondered if he’d fallen asleep.

“Yeah” 

“Mipha is going to want to ask a million questions. I didn’t tell anyone anything. Just that you were sick,” she explained, understanding the main source of his anxiety. He didn’t like attention, particularly from large numbers of people. Extended absences tended to stir up gossip, especially when Zelda was also involved. She knew that Mr. Agus was aware of the situation and most of their teachers too. Remy had gone up to the school as soon as he became Link’s guardian to sign new papers for him. They were aware of their living situation, but the other students most certainly were not. 

“Just ignore everyone. We’ll stick together. It will be fine”

But when the first morning of school came, he was not fine. He couldn’t keep a straight thought and barely managed to get his name on half his papers. While Zelda caught up almost immediately, he realized how desperately behind he was. He didn’t even understand the warm-up equations in math and his science teacher may as well have been speaking another language for all he understood the new content. He felt his head pounding behind his eyes and did his best to field the stares and the snickering he heard as he walked from class to class. By the time he reached Zelda’s car, he threw his hood over his head and pulled the strings to hide his frustration and finally let go of the growl he’d kept at the back of his throat all day. 

“I’m going to help, it’s okay!” Zelda tried to calm him with a hand on the top of his thigh, but he kept up its rapid bouncing all the way home. He burst into the living room and made a beeline for the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Zelda called after him, concerned. 

He opened the freezer and pulled out a large ice pack Remy kept at the bottom for use when they picnicked. He folded it and placed it in the crook of his neck, squeezing his eyes shut and taking deep breaths as he tapped his fingers on the counter. 

“Are you hurt?!” she called to him, overwrought with worry.

He shook his head and kept his rhythm of breathing until he let out one long exhale and opened his eyes. 

“It worked,” he breathed, his vision free from the tunneling it had narrowed down to earlier. 

“The ice? What were you doing?” Zelda asked as she followed him to the couch. He sat down and massaged his forehead with one hand as he leaned his head back. 

“My therapist said ice would help if I felt panicked. He said it’s normal after everything that happened. To get like that,” he tried to explain it without making her feel like he was about to shatter into a thousand pieces across the floor like some thrown puzzle box.

She looked him over as he went limp on the couch, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow.

“Are you going to be okay while I go to work? I don’t want to leave you like this”

He uncovered his face and nodded quickly.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t miss work for me”

“I can just message Dad, he’ll understand,” she said as she started to pull her slate out. 

“Zelda, no. Just go. I’ll be alright,” he insisted.

She creased her forehead for a long minute as she thought it over. She knew it was important to let him work through things on his own and create stability that wasn’t dependent on her, but it was hard to not be there for him every second. He was so used to coping alone that he was good at pushing her away, she just had to find the right balance of when to push back and when to let it go. So this time she let it go. She sighed heavily and stood from the couch, leaning over him to kiss him on the forehead.

“Message me later, okay?”

“Okay” he sighed back, letting his arm drop so he could look at her properly. 

Her hair fell over her shoulder and tickled the side of his still damp neck as it dangled over him. 

“Promise?”

“Promise”

She narrowed her eyes at him before grabbing her smaller bag and walking out the door.

* * *

When Remy and Zelda arrived home from work, Link’s things were still on the table but he was not seated before them. Zelda looked at the open page in his notebook to see only a single attempt on the first equation and the entire margins filled with patterns or hard pencil marks where she could tell he was trying to vent his frustration. 

“Link?” she asked out loud, but only the gentle hum of the air conditioner graced her ears in response. 

“Well, he has to be here somewhere. He didn’t message me that he was leaving and the door was locked. Did he tell you he was going anywhere?”

She shook her head as a feeling of dread bubbled up in her stomach, “He’s not here”

“What? He might be asleep upstairs. That was a long day for him”  
  
“He’s _not_ upstairs,” she asserted, leaving no room for argument. 

He sat his own bag down on the counter and ran a hand through his hair. 

“He would have cleaned up first. He never leaves a mess”

Remy thought it over and realized it was true, wondering how he’d never noticed it before. The boy never left a trace of himself anywhere. He cleaned every dish he used, refolded every towel he touched. He had just assumed it was part of his polite nature, but it occurred to him now that it was likely a learned habit from living in an environment where a single mistake might cost him an injury or some other form of punishment. He briefly asked himself how he could make Link feel any more comfortable without actually encouraging him to  _ not  _ clean up after himself. There were so many intricacies to handling him that he simply didn’t know which to address and which to let work themselves out naturally as he came to realizations on his own. 

“Well, check at least before you get worked up,” Remy sighed, watching as Zelda started to pace. 

But her eyes were already rimmed in red as she quickly ascended the stairs, holding her arms and shaking her head to indicate he wasn’t there either. They checked all his usual spots and found nothing. When Remy rang his slate, they heard it buzzing in his backpack at the kitchen table. 

“I told him to tell me if he left,” Remy said, remembering their earlier conversation.

“I know,” Zelda started to cry, “I shouldn’t have left him”  
  
“Zelda, it’s not your-” he went to console her but she pulled away.

“He was upset when I left! I shouldn’t have left him but everyone says not to solve every problem for him and you tell me to let him figure things out and that therapist tells me he has to build strength on his own, so I listened and I left him and I shouldn't have and now he’s gone and he’s probably hurt and I and I and-” her words turned to tears as she fell into her father’s arms. 

He gently rocked her back and forth as she cried, rubbing circles on her back. 

“He might have just went on a walk, sweetheart. You’re doing the best you can. What was he upset about?”

“He had a bad day at school,” she mumbled into him as she sniffled, wiping her tears on the front of his shirt.

“Even so, he should have told someone he was leaving. That’s what he was supposed to do. This is not your fault. Why don’t you stay here and I’ll go drive around and look for him, okay?”  
  
“Why can’t I go?” she cried as she stepped away from him, wiping her tears on her own sleeve this time. 

“I might miss him and he might come home” he explained as he grabbed his keys, “I’ll message you, I promise” 

“He promised too,” she said quietly, “He didn’t message me” 

Remy’s expression fell at her upset and he gave her another hug before getting in his car. He drove around the neighborhood before turning into a nearby park. His eyes scanned the area which was mostly empty due to the low temperature. But just as he was about to pull out, he spotted a familiar head of blonde hair leaned against a tree almost out of view. He let out a sigh of relief and messaged Zelda. 

_ Found him. I’ll be home soon.  _

She sent back a thousand questions with rapid fire speed that he decided to answer later. He parked his vehicle and shoved his hands in his pockets as he made his way over to where Link was sitting. 

“You had us worried sick,” he said, making Link nearly startle out of his skin. He could see him open and close his mouth a few times before mouthing the word “ _ sorry”  _ as he tugged the hood of his sweater closer around his face. He wasn’t dressed for the weather and Remy could see his hands shaking as he buried them back in his lap. 

“You are never to leave without letting one of us know where you are going. You have a slate, you could have written a note, you could have told Zelda before she left. That was what we agreed on when I gave you that key. Do you understand me?” he kept his voice even but firm and Link kept a steady line of sight on the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. 

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry,” his voice cracked as he shuffled uncomfortably on the ground. 

Remy let out a breath and moved to sit down beside him. When he got close, he noticed Link flinch almost out of reflex at his close proximity. The way he slightly turned his back and head reminded him of a wounded animal waiting on that final strike. He wasn’t sure if Link even realized what he was doing or if he’d simply done it so many times that it was an unconscious movement. Both thoughts broke Remy’s heart as he tried not to picture what would usually come next in that scenario for Link. He'd never had to discipline him before. He'd always done exactly what was asked of him, but his actions that afternoon had been deliberately against what he was told to do. He couldn't look over it, but he also realized he was setting a precedent for this new area of their relationship. It felt like a daunting task, but he marched in anyway. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, making sure his voice reflected the genuine concern he felt. 

Link coughed into his elbow and cleared his throat before maneuvering around so that Remy could see his face. 

“Yes, sir,” he replied quietly as he squeezed his hands inside the pouch of his jacket and Remy knew he’d shut down. 

“Link, please,” Remy pleaded softly, “I’m not upset with you. Just help me understand, You can talk to me”  
  
A quiet fell over them as Link watched his breath spiral out of his mouth in the cold air. Remy waited him out and gave him the space he needed to answer. 

“I’m going to fail,” he nearly whispered, “I’m going to fail school”  
  
“You’ve only been back one day, son. Give it time,” Remy responded gently, but Link’s shoulders fell at his words.

“It’s not just _one day_ ,” he said dejectedly, “It’s my whole life. It’s like there’s this humming inside my head and I just can’t focus. My dad used to tell me I was slow,” he scoffed through the emotion building in him, “He said my teachers told him I couldn’t learn because my brain was damaged and I believed him because no matter how hard I tried I always fell behind. Now he’s not here and I still can’t do it”

“Your father is a liar and I hope you know that,” Remy said a little harsher than he intended, but Link made no response other than to fall forward into his own knees, his hands reaching for the sides of his head. 

Remy draped an arm around him awkwardly at first. He’d hugged Link before, but he could tell it made him uncomfortable so he tried to let Link come to him first in his own time. But he didn’t know anything else to do in that moment to convey the love and reassurance he wanted to flood into his body. So he pulled him closer and put his own hand over Link’s as it squeezed his hair. He felt Link tense before he melted and let his weight fall into Remy’s side. 

“Your brain is not defective and you are most certainly  _ not  _ slow,” Remy started as Link cried into him, “Your father is a miserable man who painted his own insecurities onto you”

Link said nothing as his crying faded and he sat up, wiping at his face as he tugged his hood closer to his cheeks again. 

“You know, I did have a woman ask me about that mural you painted at my office”

Link looked at him, eyes dull and heavy.

“She asked me how much I paid for such beautiful art and if she could commission the artist to paint her son’s nursery”

“Commission?” Link asked and Remy’s heart tugged at his confusion. 

“She wants to pay you” he explained gently, smiling as a look of shock crossed Link’s face. 

“She probably found someone else,” Link dismissed the thought as he turned away.

“No, she was quite adamant about waiting for your response. She said she loved your style. That it was soft and expressive. She liked the way you captured the emotion on their faces”

“It’s just paint,” he mumbled, but Remy put a hand on his back and made sure he was looking at him before he responded. 

“It’s not just paint. You have a talent that doesn’t require you to memorize lists of dates or solve complex math equations you’ll never use in your real life or write 50 page essays on works of literature so old we have to translate them to modern Hylian. Your grades right now do not determine your future. It’s a blip on your radar, trust me. I was an awful high school student”

“You were?” 

Remy smiled, “Oh absolutely. I failed my entire senior year and they let me graduate anyway just to get rid of me”

Link smiled in return, “But Zelda is really smart”

“She takes after her mother in that regard,” Remy said softly, closing his eyes as the ache of grief that always sat in his back of his heart squeezed him again. 

“I’m sorry you lost her. I bet she was a good mom,” Link said as he rested his chin down on his knees, “Zelda showed me pictures”

“She was an incredible mother. I was lost without her”

“You’re a good dad too,” Link whispered, briefly turning his head to meet Remy’s eyes before they darted away again. 

Remy put a hand on his back and took a deep breath to settle his own pain back where he kept it so he could function normally. He knew better than anyone that some types of heartache never went away, despite everyone’s insistence that time would heal all. All time had done for him was teach him how to handle it and how to allow joy back in his heart even when he thought there couldn’t possibly be room left that it could fill. He knew Link would get there and that he was only at the beginning of that journey, but he was determined to help him ride it through. 

“And you’re a good kid,” Remy said as he sniffled through the last of his tears. 

“Is Zelda mad at me?”  
  
“She was worried, but she’s not angry. She’s at home waiting for us. I think she’s messaged me a thousand times while we sat here. Can you feel it vibrating through my pocket?”

Link tilted his head and listened, smiling slightly when he heard the soft hum of the electronic buzzing between them. 

“She understands, Link. Don’t worry about her. I’ve never seen her care about someone as much as she does you”

“How does she understand though?” he looked genuinely confused, “She never gets mad at me”

“Brother, if you figure her out, let me know. She can be feral at times, but has the wisdom of an old Sheikah monk when it comes to you. I half expect to see her hovering with her legs crossed in the kitchen about to hand out spirit orbs some days”

Link smiled at the mental image and stretched his neck, letting out the last of his tension. 

“But she does put her milk in her cereal bowl first. That’s a little strange”  
  
“It’s my greatest failure as a father. I taught her nothing. I’m sorry you had to see that”

They both laughed briefly before Remy stood and offered out his hand. 

“Let’s go home,” he said, “And next time you need an escape, just tell me first and I’ll gladly give you some space. I just want to keep you safe, okay?”

“Okay,” Link nodded as he took Remy’s hand, “I’m sorry”

“Zelda is going to pounce on you the moment you walk in the door, prepare yourself” 

“I know,” Link said, a twitch in his lips. 

And she did, nearly knocking him to the ground with the force of it when she heard Remy pulled into the garage. 

“I was so worried about you!” she cried as she squeezed him tight. 

Between the pressure of her embrace, the cold air, and his damaged lung, he started coughing and kept coughing until his face was red. As he grew brighter, Zelda grew paler, her hands hovering around him as if she were trying to conjure a magic spell that would make it stop. When he finally caught his breath she stood and stared at him, her mouth agape. Finally, she scrunched her features and slapped him hard on the arm and Remy nearly slid right out of his skin. Here his daughter was, hitting this physically abused boy that he had promised to keep safe just after suffering a mental breakdown. Just as he was about to scold her, he saw Link smile. 

“I’m telling on you to my therapist,” he said through his grin as Zelda grew her own across her face. 

“I’m telling on  _ you  _ to  _ my  _ therapist you dodongo! You’re going to get pneumonia!”

“You’re going to trigger my fight or flight response again,” he started giggling as she slapped him again and again and Remy looked on completely lost.

“You want a real fight, hero?” she smirked as she lifted up her hand, dropping it slightly when he started coughing again.

“Oh no, you gave me  _ pneumonia _ ,” he whined with a crinkle in his eye. 

“Pneumonia isn’t contagious!” she giggled, her heart so full of love at the life he was displaying that she was very close to combusting.

“I wouldn’t know! I’m failing science!”

They continued their banter all the way into the living room before Link fell on the couch dramatically after Zelda gently nudged him with her shoulder. They ended up crowded around her slate again as Zelda showed him a video that had them both grinning from ear to ear. Link coughed a few more times until Remy snapped back into reality and went into the kitchen, emerging with a mug of hot herbal tea for both of them.

“For the pneumonia,” he said, tapping his own mug to Zelda’s in a toast.

“Thanks, Dad” she smiled at him as he let himself fall into his favorite armchair.

He watched them out of the corner of his eye as he pretended to be engrossed in whatever show he stopped the television on. They were so perfectly matched that he had to wonder if some other force hadn’t pushed them together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, the daily updates may slow again as I have returned to the land of small children that I must teach how to read. Speaking of which, we learned -ink, -ank, -unk, and the like today and one of our dictation words was Link and I was like lololollolololololololollolol and they were like ???? can we get a new teacher? We also learned about creating mental images in our minds while we read and I was like, "boy, howdy am I good at this" and then they rioted and left. Just kidding, they like me. We have a good time. But seriously, look up "maladaptive daydreaming" and that's how all these stories start for me. Yay!
> 
> I have the next one written but I think I want to space it out a little more so I'm going to shove that one ahead and write another in-between. That's the plan for now. Just your daily update into my insanity. 
> 
> ANYWAY, our boy is getting a little spicier! Zelda might start throwing things at him now! Hope you enjoyed!


	27. Chapter 27

With Link’s permission, Remy got in touch with the woman from his office and Link started working on sketching out the design she wanted in her son’s bedroom. She had asked for old Hyrule Castle, flying the new crest that the ancient Zelda had designed after she wed the hero; the Master Sword enveloped in a vine of silent princesses. She asked that the silhouette of the hero be seen in the foreground, with the soft petals of the Great Deku drifting in the background. He worked on it intently for days, rearranging the different spaces and working them into a grid he could easily transfer to the wall. Zelda found him more than once asleep with his face smashed into his desk and his cheeks smudged in pencil markings. On one such occasion she snapped a photo of him to tease him with later before waking him up with soft kisses on his cheeks. He woke with a sleepy grin and tumbled into his bed, only to start again in the morning. It seemed to give him something to focus on that was productive and both Remy and Zelda gave him the space and the time he needed to dive into it. 

When it finally came time for him to paint it, he started to get nervous. 

“What if I mess up?” he asked as Remy typed the directions into his phone. 

“Then turn it into abstract art?” he offered and Link smiled under the fringe of his hair as he bounced his leg in the passenger seat, “You’ll be fine. This is a lot smaller than the one you did at the office and less detailed. Just breathe”

Link sat in the car with his head leaned on the coolness of the window and pictured the painting behind his eyes, holding and rubbing his hands the entire time. When they arrived at the house, a young woman bouncing a curly headed little boy on her hip answered the door. The child squealed in delight at the sight of them and the woman matched his excited energy as she graciously invited them into their home. 

She chatted happily after showing Link the space he was going to paint. The little boy’s room was bigger than the one he had at Zelda’s and was full of life. Toys scattered across the floor, occasionally beeping or chiming out a playful little song. It looked well cared for and lived in, the little toddler bed in the middle of the room framed by bookshelves full of picture books, with a lamp in the shape of the Hylian shield just off to the side to illuminate the cozy space at night. He was to paint the wall behind the bed so that it made it appear like the room was in the middle of Hyrule Field. He could visualize it immediately and his fingers twitched to get started.   
  
“So is this your son, Mr. Hyrule? I only knew about your little girl,” she asked as she watched the little boy slowly bring each one of his toys in front of Link to inspect. Link would smile and nod or mouth a quiet “oh that’s cool” which seemed to satisfy him before he returned with another. 

Remy faltered a little at her question and turned to look at Link who was looking at him with a face he couldn’t read. He didn’t want to overstep, but he also didn’t want to destroy any part of their relationship they’d just built by dismissing the notion completely. He smiled politely before answering, making his decision quickly. 

“Yes, this is Link. He’s quite the craftsman. I’m very proud of him,” he said as he kept eye contact with Link, putting an affectionate hand on his back. 

Link blushed lightly, but Remy could see the soft upturn of his lips at his comment and he let himself let go of the breath he’d been slightly holding after answering. 

“Oh my goodness, that’s my boy’s name too! Look Link! It’s another Link!” the woman bubbled. The little boy lit up at the sound of his name and scrambled into his mother’s arms playfully, “I know some people think it’s a bit overused, but we did think of him like our little hero. You’re our brave boy, aren’t you?” she turned to the child in her arms affectionately as he snuggled into her shoulder. 

Remy watched as Link’s face fell into a careful look of neutrality as he returned his gaze to the floor. He’d known him long enough now to see when the hurt was washing over him again and though he looked the picture of calm, he could see it in his body language. There was no doubt he was thinking of his own mother. Remy knew all too well the rush of grief that could arise at any moment, stealing away the warmth in your heart like a rush of cold air. He wanted to pull Link into a hug, but he didn't want to make a scene. 

“It’s comforting to have a hero in your home, isn’t it?” he responded jovially, giving Link another pat on the back to encourage him to look up. When Link met his eyes, he tried to communicate his concern the best he could nonverbally just to let him know he understood, but he knew he wasn’t as good at it as Zelda was. All Zelda had to do was glance in his direction and she could read his mood like one might read the stars. One look shared between them was like an entire conversation. He almost cursed himself for making her go work at the office that afternoon. But Link only cleared his throat, slightly nodded and simply asked if he could get started. 

“Oh of course! I’ll leave you to do your work. Please make yourself comfortable. I do very much appreciate it,” the woman responded kindly, shooing the little boy out of the room. 

“Just message me and I’ll be back to grab you, okay?” Remy said as the woman shut the door, “You alright?”

“Yeah,” Link breathed, setting his supplies down on the floor, “Thank you,” he averted his eyes as he searched through his things to get started. 

Remy wasn’t exactly sure what he was thanking him for. Was it finding him this outlet? Claiming him as his son? Not making an awkward conversation with a stranger any more awkward than it had to be? But he didn’t push it. He clapped him softly on the back and slipped out the door. 

When Link was alone he closed his eyes and let out a breath, slipping the earbuds Zelda had given him into his ears. He let his brain wander until he was lost to it. He wasn’t sure how much time had gone by until he heard a sound behind him and turned, startled. It was the little Link, playing with a cup of his rinse water. He stood quickly when he noticed Link watching him, spilling the little cup on the canvas he had laid out on the floor.

“Oh no!” the little boy cried as fat tears cradled on the fullness of his cheeks, “I broked it!”

Link was rooted in the spot, watching helplessly as the child wept at his mistake until his father came barreling in the room.

“What happened?” the man asked, looking between the two of them before connecting the dots for himself.

“Oh, buddy,” he sighed, kneeling down before his son, “Our painter friend is working hard and has a lot of tools that aren't safe for you. You are supposed to be in the living room. Did you forget?” 

“Mhm,” the little one cried as he reached for his father who straightened the cup before picking up his son and turning to Link.

“I’m so sorry, he’s just curious. Do you need help cleaning up?” the man asked as Link looked on, his hand still hovering in the air. 

“Um,” he stuttered, “No, thank you. It’s okay. It’s just water”

“I sorry,” the little boy said from his father’s arms, “I spill it”  
  
“It’s okay,” Link answered with soft smile, “I spill things sometimes too”

The father nodded a thank you to him before returning his attention to his son as they walked out the door, “Are you hungry, little man? Want to help me chop the vegetables for dinner?”

“Chop, chop!” the little Link singsonged as they walked through the doorway, his early upset completely forgotten. 

Link looked at the back of the closed door for a long while, listening to the distant buzzing of the music still coming from the ear buds cupped in his palm. He only came back alive when he felt the warmth of a single tear slide down his cheek. He didn’t realize he’d been crying. He bit his lip and tried to push the image of his own father out of his head. He’d been beaten for much less as a little boy. His mother had even told him that he used to have accidents out of fear when his father would come home from work, just the sight of him enough to make a younger Link quiver. That would often trigger another aggressive episode that often left Link alone in his soiled pants as he tried to calm himself behind his locked door. On his lucky days, his mother would be lucid enough to rush him off to the bathroom to give him a warm bath. But those days were few and far between and Link had had to learn from an early age how to button and unbutton his own pants and clean himself. He’d had to learn to do a lot of things for himself that he shouldn’t have had to do alone.

But then he thought of Remy. He knew that he was just being courteous to both Link and the woman when he made the comment about being his father, not wanting to bring up Link’s unusual circumstances with someone they didn’t know. But he’d been warmed by it all the same. He imagined Remy with Zelda as a little girl. He’d probably have splashed her with the dirty water and started a giggling fit. Zelda would have sassed him and made him chase her down the hallway with the empty cup in his hand. He smiled as he visualized it, giving the tears a new path to trace down his cheeks as he shook off his memories and finished up the mural. He sent a quick message to Remy before packing his things and wandering into the living room. 

The family was seated together at their kitchen table, the little boy’s cheeks red from the pasta sauce he’d smeared there. The woman jumped from her seat when she saw Link standing uncomfortably in the hallway and she excitedly followed him back in the room to see the completed work of art. 

“Oh wow,” she breathed upon seeing it, “this is more than I ever imagined. Thank you so much. How much do I owe you?” she turned to him.

“Uh, I mean...I don’t really know,” he said awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

The woman twisted her mouth as she thought it over and ran out of the room before returning with her purse, pulling out several bills and offering them to him. 

“Will this be okay?”

Link looked down at currency in his hands and nearly fainted. It was more money than he’d ever handled in his life. He had been expressly told that he was never to touch his parent’s money and would be punished if he even touched his father’s wallet or his mother’s purse. Even living with Remy and Zelda he was content to let them take care of anything that required payment. He stood there in shock as he looked down at the crisp bills in his hands. 

“Oh Gods, it’s not enough, is it? I’m so sorry. I’ve never done anything like this before,” the woman scrambled as she reached for more bills in her purse.

“No!” Link raised his voice slightly before clearing his throat when he had her attention, “This is...this is more than enough. Thank you” 

“Oh good,” she sighed, “You’ve done incredible work. We will treasure this for many years. I can’t thank you enough. Is Mr. Hyrule on his way to pick you up?” 

He nodded slightly before following her back out into the family room, standing there uncomfortably holding his things as the woman rejoined her family at dinner. 

“Are you hungry? You’ve been working hard for a long time. You’re more than welcome to join us,” the father called from the table after wiping the wiggling toddler clean, “If you don’t mind a few extra stains on your clothes, that is” he laughed as the little boy slurped another noodle from his hands. 

“Oh, no thank you,” he answered quietly as he sat on the edge of the couch. 

He stayed there until Remy knocked on the door to collect him and made for the safety of his car as soon as he felt he could without being rude. 

“Thank you again, Mr. Hyrule,” the woman said as she offered her goodbyes, “He seems like such a kind young man and so talented too. Is he going to college for the arts?”

Remy tilted his head at her words, surprised at himself for never considering the idea himself. 

“It’s something to think about, for sure. You have a wonderful evening”

He made his way back to the car to find Link staring at the cash in his hands. When Link noticed him, he immediately attempted to hand it to Remy, who laughed out loud as he started the car. 

“I know you are not trying to give that to me,” he said as Link kept the money out towards him, “That is yours”

“But...but I owe you so much,” Link said as his hands fell into his lap when he realized Remy was not interested in taking it from him, “Please take it”

“You don’t owe me anything. You earned that and I want you to keep it. Buy yourself something special. Take Zelda out for coffee, Goddess knows she will help you spend it. But be proud of yourself. You did that all on your own. Got it?” he watched Link out of the corner of his eye as he slid the bills into his pockets with a sigh. 

“Yes, sir”

“Oh, none of that. We have to think of something better for you to call me,” he laughed, but felt awkward immediately when he realized what he just insinuated, correcting himself quickly, “I don’t mean you have to call me Dad. You can call me whatever you want. Papa Remy. Big Papa Remy. I don’t know. But we’re family, only people I’m mad at call me ‘sir’”

Link tried to stifle his laugh but it forced its way out his nostrils instead.

“Big Papa?” he laughed as he wiped his eyes, “What about...PeePaw”  
  
“PeePaw?!” Remy guffawed, “Why PeePaw!?”

Link burst into genuine laughter as they continued to come up with humorous monikers until they pulled up at home. 

“Can I just call you by your name? Is that okay?” Link finally asked, suddenly shy again.

“That’s perfectly fine, Link. Whatever makes you feel comfortable” 

“Thanks...Remy,” Link said as he got out of the car. 

Zelda met them at the door and immediately assaulted Link with a thousand questions about what he’d painted.

“Can I see? Did you take a picture? How did you get it in your hair? Why is there paint on your lips?” she started in before switching over to fretting over him, using her hands to comb through his tangled hair and wiping the smeared stains from his cheeks with her thumbs. 

“Now here is your second job,” Remy chuckled as he hung up his coat, “Entertaining this beast. Probably doesn't pay as well,” he winked and ducked out of the way before Zelda tried to throw one of Link’s gloves at him. 

“Oh!” she gasped when she turned back to Link, “You did get paid, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” he pulled the money from his pocket and showed it to her. 

“Holy shit!” she exclaimed when she saw the amount in his hands. 

“ _ Zelda!”  _ Remy hollered from the next room, “What the hell?!”

Zelda rolled her eyes at him and Link chuckled at the two of them before folding it and putting it in his pack pocket. 

“Do you wanna...um...maybe we could go to that new bookstore you told me about. I could...I could uh, well, I could get you a new book. If you want. I don’t know. There’s a coffee shop there I think. It could be on me this time,” the more he talked, the redder his face turned and the wider Zelda’s eyes grew. 

“Are you asking me on a date, Link?” she giggled at his nervousness. Even living together for months hadn’t completely soothed over his anxiety. She loved that he still seemed so flustered around her at times. She’d seen so many of her friends with their supposed “boyfriends” or "girlfriends" over the years and how quickly they grew bored of one another. But it wasn’t like that between them. Link was still so enthralled by her, just she was with him, even on days they simply enjoyed each other’s company in silence. It felt a whole lot more like home than the fickle relationships she’d seen in others in the past. 

“I mean...is it? Okay, yeah. I mean, if you want,” he replied, putting both his hands in his pockets. 

“I’d love to,” her voice dripped with sweetness as lifted on her tiptoes to kiss him gently on the lips before they walked together in the kitchen. 

“Smooth move, son,” Remy winked at him as he stirred his mug of tea. 

“Shut up,” he mumbled despite the grin on his face. 

He found himself looking around the house with a new perspective as he sat at the counter, reaching for a piece of fruit in the small metal bowl in front of him. He tried to put a word to it as he slowly chewed the apple, watching as Remy sauntered off to his new study downstairs and Zelda rummaged through the fridge for something to eat. Then it dawned on him.  _ Home.  _ He felt at home, truly at home, for the first time. He thought about the little boy who probably lay sleeping in front of the mural he just painted in his bedroom. Now a part of him would be in that little boy’s life too. A little boy who felt safe and loved in the four walls of his bedroom; who probably smiled as soon as he woke to the thought of seeing his family again. He felt like that little boy now as he watched Zelda mix together what he imagined was her third iced coffee for the day. This was his home. This was his family. And he had earned it. This time when he said it, he believed it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess I lied and here is another one. The mural scene was supposed to be a blip. A BLIP. And then it turned into this. Also, Link is just absolutely magnificently talented and a speed painter in case you wondered how he painted a whole mural in one day. He basically painted the cover of Breath of the Wild, but with less foreboding, on little Link's wall. I don't want to drown you with domestic fluff, but there is still drama on the horizon. He still has to face his father and deal with the aftermath of that eventually. Angst hovers near lol 
> 
> I loved the image of Link in a dirty smock with his glasses on as he paints. That's some good stuff. I didn't mention the glasses, but just know they were there ;)


	28. Chapter 28

They soon developed a new normal where Link and Zelda would go to school and Zelda would either drop him at home while she worked or he would hang out at the office. Remy was slowly encouraging them to spend some time apart, but they only cooperated occasionally. They were always drifting towards one another. He didn’t push it too hard as they seemed so content when they were together. Link's eyes were less heavy and Zelda would have a casual smile across her face, even as they sat and did nothing, with Zelda swiping through her slate while Link doodled, her hand threading idly through his hair. It reminded him of the lazy days he would spend with his wife before Zelda's birth where he would stop his work to just watch her do simple things from across the room. He understood the comfort that came in those moments and he was happy to let them have it. 

One afternoon he came home with a lump in his throat, the small cardboard box in his hands heavy with the emotional weight of what it held inside. He walked in slowly and they hardly noticed him as they sat huddled together at the table. Zelda was walking Link through his math homework and Remy could tell he was doing his best not to give up and throw it across the room. Zelda stopped when she noticed Remy staring at her, his hands folded on top of the box as he waited on them to notice him.

“What’s that?” she asked, watching his face carefully.

“It’s from the police station”  
  
“Why were you at the police station?” she questioned him, but Link sat quietly. He saw his surname written on the outside of the box and fell quiet. 

“They called me,” Remy answered simply, “This is from...it’s the evidence box. They asked if Link would want it”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Don’t they still need that?” 

Remy tapped his fingers on the box and looked at Link. He’d been doing so well. He was taking his medications, attempting to sleep regularly, and had even started jogging again. He was filling out his hollow cheeks and looking healthier than he ever had before. Remy worried he was about to shatter it all again, but he knew it had to be done. 

“He plead guilty,” he explained, looking at Link instead of Zelda, “There won’t be a trial. Only a sentencing hearing. He was charged with second degree attempted murder. They couldn't get any child abuse charges to stick. They didn’t have the evidence and your mother’s testimony wasn’t strong enough. They called me this morning”

He watched as Link processed it with no emotion on his face. They hadn’t spoken about his parents for a long time. It had become an unspoken rule that if he wanted to bring it up he could, but if not they would leave it be. So they had. Until now. Remy wasn’t sure what he expected. Perhaps a panic attack or tears or even for him to completely shut down. But Link surprised him with his calmness. 

“Oh,” he said, looking at the box, “What’s inside?”

Remy opened it cautiously and Zelda was the first to reach inside. She pulled out a bag of his bloodied clothing, his shirt shredded from both the knife and the first responders who had cut it the rest of the way off. Her hands started to shake as she sat it on the counter. Link watched on curiously until she pulled out his busted slate.

It was wrapped in a thin plastic, but she could see the dried blood still on the outside, filling the soft cracks that spiderwebbed from one broken corner to the other side. When she tilted it, she could see his finger prints on the screen still preserved. She’d done her best not to picture the moment in its entirety, but it was hard for her not to now with the evidence of his agony in her own hands. She could see him lying there, desperately tapping on the screen. The fact that she knew it was her he was reaching out for broke the dam and she started to cry. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Link said gently, taking the slate from her hands and replacing it with his own, “That’s over, I’m right here. I’m okay now”

“But you died,” she sobbed as she looked at his face, “I lost you”

“Now I’m a ghost who is haunting you,” he tried to joke with her, the pain in her features hurting him more than the memory of what happened. He’d had his share battling that nightmare and desperately did not want to pass it on to her. But when Zelda’s heart broke, so did his and he would do anything in his power to fix it. He'd burden another stab wound if it meant never seeing her cry again. He pulled her close to him and tried to pull it all from her so he could carry it himself. What was one more twinge of heartache to an already broken heart? 

She laughed through her tears and fell into his arms. He held her as Remy looked through the rest of the box. They’d returned everything but the knife. All in all it was a small amount of objects that told the story of a life almost lost. The story that almost ended in his little girl sobbing at a funeral instead of gently weeping in Link’s arms as he stood healed in the safety of his kitchen. 

“Don’t cry,” Link whispered to her tenderly, “You’re going to make me cry”  
  
She pulled away from him slightly and he wiped her tears with his thumbs. Every part of her wanted to pull him in and drink in the very essence of him, but her father’s watchful eyes had her laughing nervously instead.

“Your house is cleared now. I don’t know if they cleaned it or not, but you could go in and take your things if you want. It's your father’s name on the lease so there’s a chance you might lose whatever is in there if they have to auction it”

That was when he saw the ghost of sadness dart across Link’s face. Just the hint of it. The way he fluttered his eyes down the floor and his mouth fell at the edges. He picked up the slate and put it back in the box and closed the lid. 

“I remembered a little more,” he said as he looked down at the crooked flaps of the box.

Neither Zelda or Remy encouraged him to go on, but they waited through his silence all the same. 

“I just remember being scared and that my hands were really cold. It felt like something was sitting on top of me and I couldn’t breath. I kept thinking my mom would come back in and help me. But she never did. I don’t know how I sent that ping to you. I don’t remember that” 

Zelda grabbed his arm and cradled it as she leaned on his side. 

“Will you guys go with me? To my...um...my old house, I guess,” he said quickly before he felt the weight of his previous words too intensely, "I think I need to go".

“Of course,” Remy answered for them both. 

* * *

Link put on a brave face as they pulled in the driveway and Remy shut the engines. Yellow caution tape fluttered in the wind, tattered at the edges as it licked at the cold sky. His father’s truck was gone from the driveway but he could see the evidence of the skid marks of the multiple vehicles that had flooded the lawn the night of the incident. He didn't realize how long he’d stood there looking at the ground until Remy put a hand on his shoulder and looked down at him.

“You ready? It doesn’t have to be today”

“Yeah,” he breathed, his hand reaching out in reflex and finding Zelda’s almost immediately. 

Remy creaked open the door and the three of them walked in slowly. It smelled stale and a bit musty. His eyes immediately darted to the kitchen, grimacing when he saw the residue of the dark dried blood still on the floor. The footsteps of the various people who had trudged through it made a zigzag across the old tile. He could almost still see Link laying there as he was the night he busted the door off the doorframe. 

Zelda bit back a gasp, but Link got to her before he could. He wrapped his arms around her, encouraging her down the hallway before she could linger on it. 

“I’ll show you my room,” he said quietly, encouraging her to look away from the kitchen floor as she trembled under his touch. 

He stopped just down the hall and Zelda noted the small sliding lock at the top of the doorframe. Link reached up with a blank expression and softly touched the metal before blinking heavily and walking into his room. Whatever emotion it brought forth in him, he kept to himself as he stood in the space that now felt foreign to him. 

He had minimal furniture and his mattress was on the floor, tucked into the far corner, the walls around it lightly decorated with drawings she recognized as his own artwork. The blanket on his bed was thin and worn, just like the rest of his belongings. But the space was tidy. There wasn’t a book or a piece of clothing out of place. Even the papers on his desk were neatly stacked, the pens all capped, sitting abandoned in the old cracked mug he used as a pencil holder. As Zelda looked around, she tried to imagine spending hours locked inside that tiny bedroom with only her mind to escape. She looked at him standing there and felt her heart weeing inside her chest. No matter how much she loved him now, she could never erase his past from him. She knew he was holding it in for her, but she could see the pain lacing his eyes; the sadness that sat on his shoulders and threatened to pull him to the ground. 

“Let me show you something,” he said, taking her hand and opening the small closet. He pushed the dozen or so shirts hanging there to one side and pulled her down to the floor with him. They barely fit in the small space behind the door, but he still managed to close it.

“Let me see your slate”

She handed it to him and he maneuvered the home page until he found the flash button, lighting up the small space. The shadow of his long eyelashes danced across the contour of his cheeks in the low light and he had to direct her attention to what he had wanted to show her when he realized she was staring at him. He tilted the light to illuminate the series of drawings on the walls. There was a clear progression of skill, from jagged stick figures to true likenesses of people in various poses and backgrounds. She studied them for a long time until her gaze fell back on his face. 

“I used to hide in here when I was little. I thought no one could find me,” he laughed with no emotion, remembering the countless times he dragged himself inside to cry freely without the fear of being heard and punished for being too loud, “I would have gotten in big trouble if they ever saw these”

“You really were all by yourself, weren’t you?” Zelda asked solemnly, reaching out to put a hand on his knee as they sat crunched together in the small space. 

“I’m not anymore”

“How did you make it?” 

He leaned his head on the wall and looked at her. He thought about all the times he’d sat in that very spot, imagining what it would be like if he weren’t alone; if there was someone there to share his drawings with that wouldn’t immediately ignore him or shoo him away. It was still hard for him at times to wrap his mind around the fact that he hadn’t known Zelda his whole life. She fit so perfectly into him that the thought of not having her now was incomprehensible. 

“Drawing,” he responded, “Reading, daydreaming. You can make your own world for a while that way. I had a whole city in my brain at one point. I would draw the maps, argue with myself about the best place to put the grocery store. I had friends and I would visit their houses...” he pointed to some crudely drawn rectangles that had long since faded on the wall before dropping his hand and going quiet. 

“You don’t have to do that anymore,” Zelda said as she reached out to touch him. 

Their tender moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Do I even want to know?” Remy’s voice called from the other side. 

Link pushed it open and they crawled out of the small space, brushing the dust off their clothes. 

“Look who I found,” Remy caught their attention as he handed Zelda a small, wallet sized photo that seemed unevenly cut from what was once a larger sheet of slick paper.

Zelda took the photo from his hands with a quiet gasp and stood there a long moment studying it before looking up at Link. He glanced at what she was looking at. It was an old school photo of him with the words “PROOF” printed across the front. He was very small, likely only six or seven. He was sporting a faded black eye and his grin was so crooked he almost looked a little feral combined with his wild hair and his wrinkled shirt.

“You were adorable!” Zelda eventually squealed before turning it over and looking at the back almost instinctively. Her mother had always labeled photos of her and she loved to read the little snippets on the back that detailed where the photo was taken or a special memory that was attached. Scrawled across the empty side of the photo was his mother’s handwriting that said “ _call school to see about ordering past due date_ ” alongside a phone number. Link took it from her hands and traced the words with his finger, a nervous twitch in his brow as he tried to imagine what was going through her mind when she wrote that. She had wanted to order the pictures. She had wanted a picture of him. It made him feel warm and cold at the same time, like the tail end of a fever. 

“We need some pictures of you up in the house,” Remy said calmly, taking his attention away from the picture for a moment, “If you’d like, we could look for more. Or I could have someone come pack it all up for you and you could look at it when you’re ready”

Zelda leaned into his shoulder as he looked back down at his mother’s words before lifting his now heavy-set eyes to look at his room. 

“What is that!” Zelda lit up suddenly, spying something on the corner of his shelf. 

She walked over to uncover a nearly threadbare stuffed dog, it’s neck worn thin from use. Link shuffled his feet and avoided looking at it as he tried to push down the embarrassment he felt at her holding it. 

“It’s...uh... _puppy_ ,” he mumbled the last word under his breath.

“Puppy?” she smiled as she looked at it, “Is that what you named it?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s stupid”

“It’s not stupid,” she cooed as she looked down at it, it’s limp head tilting in an almost quizzical look as its worn black eyes stared back at her, “I think it’s sweet. You should save this for your kids one day. I have one of mom's," her own face dusted with pink when she thought about that part of their future and she smiled shyly at him as she held it to her chest. 

A thousand different emotions crossed his face as Remy walked the small room, stopping when he noticed the lock on the outside of his door frame. He looked down at his feet and noticed the difference in the worn patterns of the varnish on the old wooden floor. He could see where Link had likely sat for hours just on the other side. He turned from them to conceal the anger and the sorrow that washed over him, his fist tight at his side. He couldn’t get the image of a younger Link out of his mind. How could someone put that little thing with his bright eyes behind a door like a caged animal? The thought was so vile, he had to close his eyes to fight it. 

“Is it okay if...if I look at it all later. I kind of just want to go home now,” Link said as he rubbed his temple with his hand, a headache building behind his eyes. 

Remy swallowed hard and schooled his face before turning back to them. 

“I’ll get in touch with…” he paused as he considered his next words, but Link’s eyes were already on him. He had built so much trust in him over the last few weeks and gotten him to open up more and more. Link trusted him, so he allowed himself to continue despite the fear in the pit of his stomach that grew each time he had to mention his parents. He never knew what reaction it would bring.

“I’ll have to get in touch with your mother before we take it all, but I can have them pack up just your room for now so you can have your things”  
  
Link simply nodded and said a quiet thank you as he took Zelda’s hand. She clutched his stuffed animal to her chest as they walked out the doorway. He paused one more time in the kitchen and looked down at the floor. Remy stopped just behind them and watched as Link’s eyes scanned the room.

“Do you think he wanted me to die?” he asked with no expression, his hand wrapped tightly in Zelda’s, just her presence enough to build the courage in him to ask the question he knew there wasn’t an answer to. But he’d needed to get it out all the same. It had haunted him for months now, taunting him at night. He could see his father’s eyes; the hatred, the fear, the off confliction, the pain. It made him nauseous, it made him angry. But it also confused him. He just wanted to know. The not knowing was like a disease slowly rotting him from the inside out. 

“I don’t know how to answer that, son,” Remy lamented, “All I know is that when I came through that door and saw you laying there, my first thought was that I didn’t want to lose you. I didn’t want Zelda to lose you. You’re one of us now. I pray one day you find your peace with your father, but it doesn’t have to be today. Or tomorrow. There’s time. Give yourself time” 

Link pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth and bit hard as Remy spoke, tasting the slight hint of iron on his tongue as he accidentally punctured the soft flesh with one of his sharper teeth. He wiped his mouth with his free hand and looked down at the blood, not feeling anything as it slowly pooled in the space behind his teeth. 

“Link?”

He kept his mouth closed and his hand hidden from Zelda as she looked him over, for once unable to read the expression on his face. 

“Let’s go home,” she said, tugging at his hand. He followed her instinctively. He tasted blood all the way home as he held the small toy in his lap, his thumb tracing over the stitching on its belly over and over, matting the fur down more than it already was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's your daily dose of sadness. Posting a little later 'cause I had a sad day. I took my cat to Starbucks and she ate the whipped cream off my coffee so that did help a little. Gotta get your serotonin somewhere. I think I'll go to taco bell now.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire chapter is a flashback. It just...kept going. I'm sorry!

_The playground of Deku Elementary was crawling with students at their morning recess. They’d spent the morning blending sounds of letters to make words, breaking apart and adding numbers, and listening to stories. But now it was time to run outside to give their minds a break. The other students grouped together. Some played soccer, or some semblance of soccer, others chased each other pretending to be lizalfos or moblins or heroes. Some few just grouped together and giggled at each other or talked. But then there was Link._

_He was smaller than his classmates and was often mistaken for a preschooler, especially given that he was the youngest in his kindergarten class. He was quiet and had only spoken a few words to anyone for the first few weeks of school. He was bright and often one of the few engaged in the lesson, when he was awake for it. They said he was just still adjusting to the schedule. That it was okay that he often dozed off at his desk. But they didn’t know that many days it was the first time he’d slept since the day before. He fought a battle with sleep at night that he often lost, his mind too busy and his body too anxious to let him truly rest. So he stayed awake and talked to himself or listened to his mother’s television through the door. No one tucked him in or kept him on a schedule. He dealt with each new day as it came._

_He walked around the playground by himself and investigated the foliage on the ground. He liked to find the leaves with the little bumps on them. Or the tops of acorns that looked like tiny hat. Or rocks that were so shiny he could pretend they were crystals. He would pick up a few and find a corner to arrange them in piles, sometimes designing little characters who would talk inside his head to him. More than once he would look up, hoping a friend would ask him to play with them, but they usually didn’t and he was too scared to ask. Their confidence made an uneasy feeling coat the inside of his stomach. They moved and talked and existed as if nothing they did would ever land them in trouble. He didn’t understand that. He didn’t understand them. So he played alone. He thought he probably wasn’t fun enough anyway. They could have better friends._

_He spied a particularly interesting rock on the ground and knelt down for it just as a group of second graders barreled out the glass doors to begin their recess as well. A rather stocky boy collided with his bent frame and sent him face first into the concrete. He opted on protecting his treasures rather than his face, all the air in his lungs escaping quicker than a startled flock of birds as his skin scraped across the hard surface. The scuffle went completely unnoticed by any staff member, all of which were huddled together in the middle of the playground, enjoying an ounce of adult conversation for once._

_Link’s hands flew to his face and he immediately felt a familiar ache of pain shoot up from his nose as the warm trickle of blood traced the lines of the fingers he held there in an attempt to stop it. He’d hit his forehead quite hard and it pulsed as he sat there, a large knot already forming from where he took the brunt of the fall. He didn’t cry out or look for help. The thought didn’t occur to him. He merely crawled to the safety of the inlet on one of the walls where two classrooms shared an outside door and sat there as he felt his heart begin to race. He was going to get in trouble. He was always in trouble. Why was he so bad?  
_ _  
__He quietly cried into his hands and tried to wipe the blood from his face with his thin jacket. He thought that maybe if he rubbed it enough the blood would go away. They wouldn’t know. He could go inside and practice writing his numbers on his magic board with the marker that wiped away and no one would have to say anything to him. Then if he was sneaky long enough he would get to eat lunch and he was so very hungry. He’d been bad the night before and his father locked his door before he could ask for something to eat. He listened to the grumbling of his stomach as the bell rang._

_“That boy has blood on him!” he heard another student’s voice shout out as they ran past him and all the heads of the teachers snapped in his direction. His teacher hurried over and knelt down in front of him._

_“Oh my goodness!” she cried, “We need to get you to the nurse!”_

_She helped him stand but didn’t hold his hand. She probably didn’t want to because he was dirty. His mother told him he was always dirty. That’s why she didn’t like to hold him sometimes too. He was very sorry about the blood on his hands but he didn’t tell her because he was scared to. When he got in trouble he wasn’t supposed to talk. It was a rule. He could be good if he could follow the rules. and he was trying very hard._

_“Go on down the hallway and show the nurse, okay?” she told him as she opened the glass doors with her special key. He wanted to ask her how the little picture badge on her neck opened the door with just a beep, but he kept his mouth closed. He could taste his blood on his tongue._

_He scurried down the long hallway and ended up in the front office, his hands still on his face. He stood shyly and waited on someone to notice him. When they did, he was rushed into a small office where a friendly woman in brightly colored nurse’s clothing scooped him up and started to clean the blood off his face and stop the flow of blood from his nose. She was gentle and didn’t push too hard like his father did when he wiped him off. He thought that was nice of her._

_“What a brave little boy you are,” she smiled at him as she handed him a little frozen sponge inside a bag that she retrieved from a small refrigerator under her desk, “Hold this on your head. You’re going to have a big bump there, little buddy. And probably some black eyes too. You hit your head pretty hard. I’ll need to call Dad and see what he wants to do”_  
 _  
At the mention of his father he began to cry. It was the first sound the nurse had heard from him during the entire event. Most kindergarteners talked in such a frenzy that their words came out like a spilled box of toys, unorganized and haphazard. But he had let her do whatever she needed in silence, even letting her clean the blood from the inside of his nose without so much as flinching_. 

_“Am I in trouble?” he cried as his legs dangled off the tall nurse’s bench he was seated on, the paper crinkling slightly with each nervous movement he made._

_“No, honey! It was just an accident. But your family expects us to take good care of you and that was quite the fall. They might be nervous to let you go the rest of the day with a head injury like that. I’m sure he’ll just want to check on you”_

_He pictured his father on the other end of the phone. Would he yell at this nice nurse like he would yell at him? He didn’t want her to be in trouble with his Dad too. That thought made his stomach hurt and he pulled his legs up to hold them so he could bury himself into his knees. He kept the ice pack on his head and shivered as it slid against his skin. He wanted to put it in his mouth but he knew he wasn’t supposed to. He didn’t know why his brain always told him to do things he wasn’t supposed to do. It’s why his father said his brain was broken. He was sad that it was true. He didn’t know how to fix a broken brain. He was just glad that no one could see it and all its brokenness inside his head. It could stay hidden that way and some days he could pretend it wasn't._

_The nurse watched him curiously as she pulled out his file and rang the number listed under his father’s name. It rang a few times before clicking off. She then tried the number for his mother. She picked up on the second ring._

_Link listened as they exchanged pleasantries before the nurse changed her tone of voice._

_“Mrs. Faron, he’s not done anything wrong. It was simply an accident. I didn’t want to send him home to you without letting you know what happened. It’s up to your discretion if you’d like to come get him early”_

_She hung up the phone and rolled her chair back to sit in front of Link as he sniffled into his pants._

_“Do you want to go back to class? Or do you want to stay here for a little bit?” she asked him gently as he rubbed at his eyes._

_He shook his head and yawned and she smiled softly at him before standing and reaching for a small pillow and a throw blanket she kept in her closet._

_“You can rest here for a little bit, okay?”_

_He nodded and laid down on the small pillow, his eyes blinking slower and slower as he watched the nurse roll around in her chair in her small office. When she looked at him again just before running to make a copy of a paper, he had his thumb in his mouth and his eyes were closed. She covered his shoulders with the blanket he still held loosely folded in his hands and dimmed the lights so he could sleep._

_Two hours later Mara buzzed into the office and asked to sign him out. She had a large men’s jacket on over a pair of sweatpants, her hair thrown into a messy bun on the top of her head. She looked like she’d just gotten up despite the late hour. She stood uncomfortably in front of the office counter as one of the office workers walked into the back room to wake him._

_“Mommy?” he asked groggily as he was guided through the small hallway. His teacher had packed his backpack and it sat waiting for him on one of the office chairs._

_“Hi, baby,” she said softly, “I came to get you”_

_“Am I in trouble?” he asked again, his eyes round and watery like two forgotten glasses of water on someone’s bedside table._

_“No, let’s go"_

_“He’s such a sweet boy,” one of the office ladies said as they waved him goodbye._

_Mara smiled politely and took Link’s hand as they walked out to the parking lot. He sat in the backseat of his mother’s car and rubbed at his eyes. His head hurt and his stomach was growling._

_“I couldn’t find my keys,” she explained as she turned on the car that had sat in the driveway unused for weeks, “that’s why it took me so long”_

_“It’s okay, Mommy”_

_He had no car seat to strap into so he slid around on the slick seats as she drove._

_“Your father is working late today”_

_He watched as the trees blurred by him, noticing that if he looked at just one he could see it for only a fraction of a second in full detail before it flew out of his vision. He kept doing it over and over until it made his eyes hurt._

_“You know what I want?” she asked him as he sat quietly behind her, “Some french fries. Does that sound good?”_

_The mention of food got his attention and he leaned on the middle console to get closer to her._

_“Will Daddy say yes?”_

_She looked at him as he watched her, the soft skin under his eyes already darkening. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him like that but he seemed to not even notice the injuries that lined his face. Instead he seemed worried, biting his bottom lip as he flattened his mouth awaiting her response._

_“Daddy is at work”_

_“Oh,” he replied as he sat back and started looking through the things in his backpack, pulling out a small hardcover book to look at the pictures._

_He’d been much better since he started school and she was guilty to admit she liked the quiet of the house when he was away. School seemed to exhaust him and he often fell asleep as soon as he arrived home. On those days she rarely saw him at all. On the days he was home from school, he would be tiresomely full of energy. He’d beg her to play with him or draw with him or make him something to eat. Sometimes when her brain was clear, she indulged him. But he never seemed to understand when she couldn’t, his face often falling as he cried at her bedside. If his father was home, he would end up being scolded for bothering her. What he did to get Link to be quiet during those times, she didn’t want to know. But she knew he was scared of him and often woke up with bruises he didn’t have the day before. She didn’t let her mind see the connection, even though it was already there. It was more guilt than she could bear. If he could just hang on a little longer, she would get better. He just had to stay quiet so she could rest. Why couldn’t he understand that? His father was just trying to care for her and he was teaching Link how to behave. That was the lie that comforted her as she listened to him crying in his bedroom at night before Cyril came to shut her bedroom door._

_As he grew older he seemed more cautious of his actions. He talked less and was more aware of himself and how he affected his parents behavior than when he was baby. She saw it as maturity. She hoped it would help them both get better._

_“Aren't you hungry?” she asked him as he waved his hand up and down along with the landscape as he looked out the window, his book forgotten._

_“I think lunchtime is over,” he replied sadly, thinking about how he’d clipped the clothespin with his name on it on the picture of a slice of pizza in his classroom that morning. It had been hard to chose between pizza and spaghetti, but his teacher had told him to hurry up so he did. He wondered if someone ate it or if it got thrown away when he didn’t come to pick up his tray._

_“I’ll get us something for lunch”_

_She drove through the nearest restaurant and ordered them both a meal before driving and parking at a playground not far from their house. She rolled down the windows and encouraged Link to climb up into the front seat as she handed him his food._

_“I was reading that sunshine can help your mind,” she told him as he eagerly opened the little cardboard box that contained his lunch._

_“Like a flower?” he asked with his mouth full. She noticed how long his hair had gotten. It curled around the contours of his ears and tickled the tops of his shoulders._

_“Something like that”_

_She watched him eat, ignoring the little plastic bag containing the toy that had come with his meal. It perplexed her. He was usually very eager to touch everything that was near him. He'd put everything within reach into his mouth as a baby, prompting Cyril to make him stay contained to his crib for long stretches of time in order to keep him out of things. It was odd for her to see him so reserved. Had he really changed so much? When was the last time she'd spent this much time with him? She couldn't remember._

_“Don’t you want your toy?” she finally asked as he plopped his last french fry in his mouth._

_He looked inside the bag and then back at her before looking away, his brows scrunching together as he nodded his head cautiously._

_“Then why don’t you get it?”_

_He looked at the bag and fidgeted in his seat, opening and closing his hands into fists a few times as he bounced up and down on his folded legs._

_“Daddy said I can’t have new toys,” he finally said when he realized she was still expecting him to grab it, “‘cause I was bad”_

_She closed her eyes and fought it when she felt it crawling up the back of her throat again_ _; the darkness. For once her intrusive thoughts had subsided and she’d taken advantage. She’d walked through the house and picked up stray blankets. She’d read about meditation on her slate. Then she’d gotten the call from the school and decided it was the world telling her to seek peace outside. So she'd left to get him despite not having driven in week. She took a series of deep breaths, swallowing hard as she urged her brain to hold on for just a little longer. She didn’t want to be lost again._

_“It’s okay, you can have it” she told him as he watched her, her voice strained ever so slightly. She saw the hint of fear across his face at the shift in her body language. He was more receptive than she’d ever imagined and was no doubt wondering what he’d done wrong and what punishment he would receive for triggering it. He shrunk in his seat when she continued to look down at him._

_“Will he be mad at me?” he almost whispered as he held the plastic wrapped toy in his hands. His nose was running and the knot on forehead made him look like he was attempting to grow a horn. He looked as if he were frightened at his own existence. As if he would break her if he moved a certain way or said the wrong thing. She never realized how tired he looked. She tried to remember when he’d gone to bed the night before but came up blank._

_“Why don’t you go play for a while,” she motioned at the park before them as she sighed deeply, “I just want to feel the sun on my skin”_

_“Okay,” he said, taking his toy with him as he opened the door._

_She watched him from the car as he pulled it open from the plastic bag. It looked like a Goron character from some movie she had seen advertisements for on television. It seemed to roll in a ball when he pushed a button on its belly. He smiled as he tucked all the moving pieces back in to do it again. He walked to the nearest trashcan and threw away the bag before making for the play equipment._

_There were several other children at the park that were all younger than him given the time of day. She watched as Link talked to his toy as he made it slide down the long hand rails and jump up the steps. Another boy approached him and pointed to it before grabbing it roughly from Link’s hands and playing with it himself. She expected him to reach for it back like any child would, but he didn’t. He simply sat down on the ground and hid his face in his knees like she'd seen him do before. Eventually he looked up and wiped his tears, cringing when he brushed across the fresh bruises on his eyes._

_When the other child’s mother noticed, she rushed over and forced her child to return it. Link hugged it to his chest before slowly making his way back to the car and opening the door, climbing inside and sitting down in the back seat without a word._

_“That boy was mean to you,” Mara said as she turned around to look at him._

_“It’s okay, Mommy”_

_“No its not,” she said, her frustration rising, “When people are mean to you, you have to stand up for yourself”_

_He seemed confused as he rolled his little goron back into a ball so he could hold it in one of his hands. His movements stilled as he looked away from her._

_“Daddy is mean to me”_

_“Don’t say that,” she let the words fly out with more force than she intended and he recoiled as she shifted in her seat, “You can’t say that”_

_“I’m sorry,” he whimpered as he curled into himself._

_“He’s just teaching you. You have to learn. You can’t say stuff like that. He’s a good man. He takes good care of us”_

_He nodded quickly as tears rolled silently down his cheeks. He wouldn’t say another word the whole ride home. When his father arrived home later that night, she heard him scolding Link for leaving school early and making her come to get him. He didn’t argue, even when she heard the unmistakable sound of skin slapping against skin._

_“That boy has to learn,” Cyril would tell her when he crawled up beside her, “He has to learn to respect me”_

_Mara wondered if he still had his toy in his bedroom. Would he have taken it to bed with him? Was he sleeping? She turned in to Cyril’s arms and tried not to see his blue eyes in her mind as she fell asleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a perfect spot for a flashback because Link's been kind of ignoring his past but it all just got brought back up again. I just didn't expect it to be an entire chapter ??? ??? If you're not a fan of flashbacks I'm sorry. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programing next chapter. 
> 
> Mara totally was gaslighting him, which can really mess a person up. Imagine years of that and you can see how Link tolerated how he was treated for so long. He was constantly being invalidated and made to question himself. As someone who has a parent that does this exact thing, I related a little hard on that one. It does suck. 
> 
> Also, I had in the plans for that kid to break his toy but I COULDN'T DO IT. I kept writing it and crying. I literally stabbed him but I can't break his happy meal toy. What is wrong with me?
> 
> Omg I’ve edited this like 34 times for little errors. I’m sorry I’m a mess today


	30. Chapter 30

Two weeks. That was how long they had until the sentencing hearing. Remy fielded a number of phone calls and participated in an additional number of conversations that included court jargon that he didn’t understand, but at the end of the day, they’d asked him if he were willing to make a victim statement on Link’s behalf.

“He has no other family that we’ve been able to find. Both sets of grandparents are deceased and his mother’s only relative lives outside of Hyrule and wishes to have no contact with either her sister or Link. You are the closest thing to a relative that he has," the woman had explained over the phone. 

“Does he have to attend?” he’d asked as he sat in his office tapping his fingers on the glass top of his desk as he watched Zelda argue with Impa from across the hall. Link was at home at his request. He explained that he had trouble focusing at the office and neither of them had argued with him. Remy saw it as progress that he'd expressed an opinion at all. 

“It would be impactful for the court if he were to read his own statement, but as he is a minor we cannot force him into it. The purpose of the statement is to inform the judge on how the crime has impacted the victim’s life. This information will assist the judge in formulating an appropriate sentence. The defendant will be in attendance at this hearing and I understand if that may be distressing to him. Please give us a call back when you’ve spoken with him on this matter.’

When the call had ended, Remy sat holding his slate. Eventually he opened up the camera rune and started swiping through the photographs he’d snapped since Link moved into their home. He scoffed remembering the words of one of the social workers when he’d first signed guardianship of Link. 

“ _You are prohibited from posting photographs of your foster child online or anywhere they may be viewed by the public,”_ she’d said, “ _It is in his best interest”_

He had thought it was a stupid rule. He kept his private life guarded simply by a personal decree anyway, but he felt defensive when being told he couldn’t share his family if he chose to. He also hated the term “foster child”. It made him feel like he’d adopted a puppy from the humane society instead of inviting a child into his home. So he’d taken it upon himself to capture as many small moments of Zelda and Link together as he could; behind their back of course. Zelda loved to take her own pictures, but somehow became incredibly offended if Remy attempted to take one of his own. He’d crafted a few different strategies to capture them without her noticing and had accumulated quite a few in the short months they’d been together. 

He smiled looking through the album of Kakariko pictures. Link looked bright eyed and excited with Zelda right on his heels in most of them. There were the snapshots of them huddled in the backseat of the car, several of Link asleep on her shoulder, and then one particular one that caught his eye. Zelda was centered in the frame with her outstretched hand cupped just under a lantern, her attention completely taken as its soft glow kissed the curves of her face. His heart warmed. He could almost see her much younger doing the same thing, her eyes always so full of wonder and life. But it was Link in the background his attention fell to. His gaze was downward, his face falling into a somber look when he thought no one was looking. He looked exhausted, as if he were contemplating laying on the ground to sleep. Remy remembered that moment vividly. It had been a happy memory for him too. Zelda had turned around and Link had smiled at her, taking her hand to continue down the path they’d been walking on. How had either of them missed that moment? How many moments did Link spend letting the mask fall when their backs were turned? 

He swiped the photo aside and opened up his messages to check on him. Neither him or Zelda liked when he was home alone. The worry that accumulated between the two of them was so potent on those days that they barely spoke to one another on the ride home, the tension only fading when they walked through the door to find him dozing on the couch or working on his school work at the table. Since the incident at the park, he’d made sure to message if he wanted to leave the house for any reason, so he had no reason to believe anything was amiss on that particular day. But he messaged him all the same. 

_How’s it going in your neck of the woods?_ He sent with a little tree icon and a question mark. 

_I fought off two home intruders and reshingled the roof. Might take a nap next,_ Link responded immediately with a thumbs up icon. Remy chuckled as he read the words. It fed his soul to see Link slowly coming out of his shell around him. He’d heard him and Zelda up many nights whispering and giggling between themselves, but he still was quite reserved around Remy on most days. 

_With your bare hands? I am impressed. Just checking on you. I have to talk to you about something when I get home. See you in a few,_ he sent and closed his slate without checking for a response. 

He worked a few more hours before getting Zelda’s attention and heading home. Zelda had driven herself from school, so the ride home was long and quiet. He didn’t even bother turning on the radio. Instead he formulated how he would frame the request he had to make of Link in a way that didn’t sound horrifying. 

“You have to write about what your father did to you and then I get to read it in front of the court so the judge can decide how long to lock him up,” he said out loud before cringing. 

“You can go if you want to, but everyone will be there. A judge, your parents, the social workers,” he kept practicing until he eventually gave up. There was no easy way to ask it.  
  
He pulled into the garage and creaked open the door, his ears immediately picking up on the silence in the house. He walked in slowly and found that everything that had been out of place when he left for work was now neatly put away. He raised his eyebrows as he walked through and took it all in. It hadn’t been that clean in months. He made his way upstairs after calling Link’s name and getting no reply. He forced his heart to slow its accelerating rate before he knew for sure if there was anything to actually worry about. He had mentioned taking a nap.

He casually pushed open the door and saw Link’s back as it was slouched over his desk. His room was in a similar state to the rest of the house; not a thing out of place. Link turned slowly when he heard the door but wouldn’t meet his eyes. 

“What’s up?” Remy asked dumbly as Link wrung his hands before him, “House looks nice. Was that you?”

“I cleaned the paint off my desk,” Link said almost robotically at first as Remy stood there, “I um...I picked up those towels from the bathroom that I left too. I meant to get them earlier, I was just busy and...and I’ll be better, I promise. I’m sorry,” he finished, his voice now tight and tinged in worry. When he stopped, he tensed slightly before looking up to see Remy's reaction. 

Remy’s brow held steadfast in a confused expression as he tried to work through Link’s behavior. He was standing there like a soldier before a sergeant. His eyes never left the floor. He felt his slate vibrate in his pocket and took the moment of silence to check on it before responding.

It was a message from Zelda asking if they wanted coffee and to check on Link. She was stopping on her way home since she knew Remy would get there to make sure nothing had happened. But after he sent her a quick reply, he noticed the little number icon by Link’s name. He swiped it open and his stomach flipped as soon as he read the words. 

_Did I do something wrong?_ He’d responded immediately to Remy's earlier message. Then, an hour later when he hadn’t got a response, he’d simply sent, _I’m sorry._

“Oh Gods, you thought I was upset about something didn’t you?” he asked as Link stood there rooted to the spot. He simply nodded but kept his gaze down. 

“You’re not in trouble, Link,” Remy sighed as he stepped towards him, deflating when Link stepped back out of reflex, “Did you really think those things would bother me?” 

“I didn’t know,” he murmured, “I couldn’t think of anything else. I’m sorry” 

Remy sat on his bed and tapped his fingers on his thigh as he tried to keep his own emotions in check. He felt so guilty that he’d unknowingly caused Link stress over something that could have been easily avoided if he'd just looked at his slate earlier. He tried not to picture Link pacing back and forth around the house, sorting his actions and trying to find fault in any of them. He groaned and rubbed a hand through his hair. 

“You don’t have to apologize, that’s not what I was going to talk to you about. I’m the one who is sorry. I should have just waited until I got home. That’s on me. Will you look at me?” 

Link lifted his face on command, holding his eyes for a minute before looking off to the side. For all he was practically a grown man, he often had the mannerisms of a child, particularly in moments where he was uncomfortable and especially now since he didn’t have Zelda near. 

“Oh,” he said simply as he sat down in his desk chair, “But you said…”

“I did say I needed to talk to you about something, but it’s not to scold you. You didn't do anything wrong. It’s about your dad” 

He cringed again as Link leaned forward to rest the side of his face into the palm of his hand, a pained expression on his face. All he was doing was making it worse. He’d wounded the poor boy and now he was pouring salt in it. 

“Is he okay?” Link asked as his head bounced up and down to the rhythm of his leg bouncing anxiously beneath him. 

“Is he...I mean, I guess so,” Remy stuttered, taken off guard by the question, “The hearing for his sentencing is in two weeks. They asked for a victim impact statement”

He leaned back and watched as Link tried to work through his words. Eventually he sighed and nestled his chin into his palm so he could tap the side of his face with his nervous fingers. 

“I don’t understand,” Link responded softly.

It was another punch to Remy's already bruised gut. He felt like he was out to sabotage every moment of the conversation at that point. He took a moment to try and frame his next words in a way that Link would understand and that might lessen the blow to his already fragile mental state. 

“Everyone that’s involved in the case will get together in court and try to influence the judge as they make the decision on how long your father will go to prison for what he did to you. Part of that means hearing from the victim. That’s you,” he started, keeping a close eye on Link as he sat quietly in his chair. 

“They called and asked if you would write something that could be read in court explaining how the crime has impacted your life. Emotionally, physically, financially, all that. Because you’re still under 18, they said a parent or a family member is able to read this for you during court. You might choose to do it yourself, but that would mean standing before your dad. Your mom will probably be there too, but she’s still in recovery and not exactly fit to speak for you. No one will blame you if you don’t want to be there, but they did say it would impactful if you were”

Link sucked in a deep breath as his leg slowly came to a stop. He traced the underpart of his eye with his pinky over and over as he pictured it in his mind. Everyone together. All in one room. All discussing the one thing he’d pushed aside for weeks. The event that shattered him, yet brought him back to life at the same time. He would have to sit and listen as another person decided how much of his father’s life would be taken from him as a result of what he’d done. It sounded horrifying, freeing, disgusting, and necessary all at once. 

“Well...my mom can’t do it,” he replied simply, picking the easiest section to respond to, “And I don’t have any other family”. 

“Don’t you?” Remy asked, keeping his eyes on Link long enough that he felt them on him and looked up. Remy smiled gently and Link mouthed a soft “oh” before looking away again.

“You don’t have to do that for me,” he mumbled, picking his feet up off the floor and balancing them on the edge of his seat, wrapping his arms around them. 

“I will do anything you need me to do,” Remy let the words come out firmly with no room left to question them. 

“But I already owe you so much,” Link tried to protest anyway, but Remy shot him down before he could start. 

“Listen, parenting isn’t a transaction. I didn’t sign up to take you in with the thought that you would one day repay me for every little thing I’ve done for you. That’s not how this works,” Remy said, shifting on the bed as his tone got serious. If Link heard anything he’d ever said to him, he wanted it to be this, “Parenting is a gift. And you don’t give a gift expecting anything in return. I take care of you because I _want_ to. And because I can see how great of a kid you are and how shitty of a start you’ve gotten. I will do this for you just like I would do it for Zelda”

Link licked his lips and nodded, visibly trying to hold back his tears as he squeezed his knees. Most children his age were discovering their self identities as they worked towards leaving home to start their own journeys, with everything they’d been taught tucked inside their hearts and minds as a cornerstone to help them stay true to themselves. But Link felt very much like a repurposed sketch book that was once filled, but now the old pages were ripped out and discarded to make room for something new. He was sitting there with his pencil hovering over the now blank first page, trying to decide the tone this new portion of his life would take. It was daunting and up until that point he’d been under the impression that he’d always have to do it alone. As much as he loved Remy and Zelda, he still felt that way. It was something he had to physically force into his brain in order to believe it; that there were people honestly willing to help him simply because they wanted to. 

“Thank you,” he said, letting his feet fall back to the floor, “But...I think I can do it. I think...I need to do it. Does that make sense? I don’t know. As long as...as long as you’ll go with me. I haven’t seen him since…” his voice trailed off and he swallowed hard, the memory flashing before him with vivid detail. He had had nightmares about it for weeks. The knife in his father’s hand. The shape of his back as he walked through the front door. 

“Of course I will be there,” Remy said warmly as he stood from the bed as walk towards Link who stood cautiously from his chair before letting Remy crush him in a hug, “And if you ask Zelda, she will gladly sew your clothing together so that you can never be more than a few inches away from her”

Link let out a soft, breathy laugh as he finally reciprocated the hug. They let go and Remy straightened his shirt before plopping his hands on his hips and looking Link’s room over. 

“Did you clean Zelda’s room too?” he asked.

“Gods no, I didn’t have a hazmat suit,” Link laughed and Remy joined right in. 

Almost as if on cue, they heard Zelda open the garage door. Link looked at Remy who expertly lip synced the drown out “ _Liiiiiiiink, I got you a coffee!”_ that they heard from downstairs. Link's shoulders raised as he tried to stifle his giggles as Remy grinned and shooed him out the door with a flick of his wrist. 

She flew into him as he rounded the corner, crushing him in his second hug of the last five minutes and he found himself picking her up and swinging her around. She giggled into his neck and he shivered as her breath travelled across his collarbones. He was glad Remy was still upstairs so he could sneak kisses in that space just under her ear just to pay her back. 

“You’re in a good mood today!” she grinned at him when they broke apart, “I got you extra caramel. Did you clean the house? I can’t believe Ms. Blossom gave us double the homework today just because she forgot yesterday. How is that our fault? I think she’s part bokoblin... ”  
  
He loved when she changed subjects abruptly and when she got so into her storytelling that she started idly rearranging his hair or straightening the strings of his jacket hood. He simply stood there and let her do whatever she wanted before she suddenly remembered their coffees going cold on the kitchen counter and grabbed his hand, refusing to let him be in a room that she wasn’t also in. 

“I finished the math homework if you want to look at it,” he said as he sipped the coffee, savoring the warm blob of caramel as it danced across his tongue. 

“You did?” she lit up, “by yourself?”  
  
“Well I mean, I tried my best,” he shrugged, for once not fighting the smile that always seemed to grow across his face when she was near. She was like a beacon of light, chasing away the shadows that always seemed to be just in front of him. Whenever he was with her, he could let himself breath, let himself just _be._ He prayed one day he could feel that way forever. But for now, he’d take just a few moments. 

“I can show you and you make sure I didn’t mess it up,” he offered. 

She accepted with a kiss that tasted like chai tea and whipped cream. He chased it until he heard Remy clearing his throat and they broke apart quicker than two feral kittens running from danger. 

“This seems awfully inappropriate behavior for siblings,” he deadpanned as he walked toward the counter to grab the coffee she’d brought him too, “I think I will go to therapy next. I’m doing something wrong”

For once Zelda was too flustered to fight back, choosing instead to drown herself in her tea before roughly grabbing Link by the shoulder of his hoodie and pulling him into the other room. When she had him pushed on the couch she finally let go of her breath and they started laughing. It was the kind of laugh that started slowly, but ended up with both of them trying to catch their breaths as Zelda wiped at her eyes. 

“He’s awful,” she giggled, pulling out her notebook so they could actually do something productive. 

“I don’t know, he’s kind of cool. He’s never stabbed me,” Link said, to which Zelda turned around, opened mouthed. She stared at him before giving him a tight lipped smile and shaking her head. 

“You’ve spent too much time with me,” she giggled, “I’m ruining you”

“I haven’t spent _enough_ time with you,” he countered. 

She responded simply with a smile and another kiss that progressively grew deeper again until a pillow hit the top of her head and they tumbled apart for a second time. 

“Hey! Save it for the wedding reception!” Remy grumbled as he walked through the living room on his way to his downstairs office.

Link turned as red as a strawberry before sighing and laying his head on the couch. He knew he wouldn’t sleep that night. He could already feel his anxiety clawing at the back of his throat. But he also knew that there was nothing more he wanted in that moment than to watch as Zelda looked over his math notes with her tongue caught between her teeth. So he let himself breathe and enjoy the moment. He’d deal with the rest of it later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be totally honest and say that I heard "parenting is gift" from a therapist I follow on TikTok. It hit such a nerve with me and it also made me think of this story. Has your parent ever been like, "I clothed you and fed you and and and!!!!" and then you just had to sit there with this weird misplaced guilt over something you never asked for? Cause I've been there. It just fit so well. Thank you therapist from TikTok! 
> 
> Happy Sunday! I have to say that I am and also am not looking forward to the sentencing hearing. I actually know very little about court procedures. I did watch Chris Watts' hearing last summer because my nieces were the same age as his kids and I was oddly obsessed with that case, so I have a basic understanding. If I mess anything up there, just assume it's because the Hyrule Court system does things different lol


	31. Chapter 31

He felt the anxiety pulling at him at every moment. In math, it was in the numbers, twisting the way they decomposed until they almost became unrecognizable. Ms. Blossom, who had been so excited at his growth, smiled politely as she handed back his latest paper, half marked in red. He didn’t even look at it long enough to register his grade. He simply shoved it in his backpack and followed Zelda to their next class. He zoned out as she talked with Mipha, gossiping about the latest on Paya on Grante. He would catch her looking at him out of the corner of her eye, but he made sure to smile back, even if it didn't reach his eyes. He thought it might be convincing enough. 

At lunch he could taste it; the ashy coating that plastered to his throat as he choked on his bottle of water. His food had no taste and he ended up covering what was left of it with a napkin before she could notice. His stomach was hollow, yet the thought of eating was so unappealing that he almost felt nauseous when he looked at it sitting there. It came again in the shape of Zelda’s mouth as she asked him repeatedly if he was okay, despite already knowing the answer. She knew. There was no way she didn’t know. He couldn’t decide if he should find comfort in it or not. So he chose to avoid it entirely. She stayed right beside him, but didn’t pry. She knew it would only push him farther away. She kept Mipha's attention off his closed off behavior by explaining he'd been sick. _He gets sick a lot now_ , she'd explained, _since he was in the hospital_. They knew there was more to it, but they kept their questions tucked away for when he wasn't there to hear them. He was grateful for that at least. 

It was easier during the day. There were distractions. Avenues to help him disassociate so he could remove himself from it as much as he possibly could. If he wasn’t sketching, he was reading on his slate or in the books Remy had purchased him. “ _ If you can read, you can educate yourself,”  _ Remy had told him as he handed him the gift card preloaded with enough money to purchase himself something from the bookstore he’d taken Zelda to, “ _ Don’t let the numbers at school fool you into believing they know your potential”.  _ While he wasn’t honestly quite convinced it was doing anything for him, he relished the escape. He flew through an entire book in a matter of days, reading until his eyes ached. He made lists of the words he didn’t understand and then spent more time looking them up. Then he would draw. Or sit and stare blankly at Zelda’s screen as she scrolled through loops of humorous videos, only laughing when prompted. His eyes burned and his mouth was dry, but still he ignored it, pushing it down and away so he could at least pretend he wasn't crumbling on the inside. 

But he couldn’t fight it at night. He’d spend hours tossing and turning and watching the way the ceiling fan went around in an endless loop until eventually he was so exhausted he slipped into a light sleep. That was when it hit the hardest. Once his conscious defenses lowered, it attacked him at full force. He’d wake slowly as his heart started climbing up his chest cavity until its beating was so malicious and so unsustainable that he genuinely feared for his imminent death. The thought of Zelda finding him like that only served to worsen it until he found himself in the bathroom, vomiting until his head was so dizzy he could do little more than lay on the ground and count his breaths. The event itself was short lived, but the aftermath would leave him groggy and disconnected for hours after. He was glad it happened at night, if only to spare Zelda the burden of having to worry about it. She'd had to put up with so much from him, the thought of adding one more reason that she should throw him to curb was almost too much for him to consider. 

But she did worry about it. She felt it like a phantom pain in her chest. She saw it clearly in the way the bags under his eyes sagged heavier each day, how he slouched forward and seemed to tap out when no one was looking at him. It had been like an experiment for her to watch his progression since leaving the hospital. She remembered how lifeless he looked in that dingy hospital gown, draped in machinery and tubes. Then he'd come home, and while the struggle was still there, he'd had his moments where the pink returned to his cheeks and the light started creeping into the dark crevices of his eyes. Then in Kakariko, he’d finally looked warm and present. But the hollowness was starting to return and she felt powerless to fight it. It was that helpless feeling that drove her to distract him her own way. 

“Link, stop,” she said as he tried to explain why he’d changed into a different shirt in the middle of the night. He should have known better than to assume she didn’t notice little nuances like that. She noticed everything about him. 

“I just got hot,” he said, almost defensively, his eyelids drooping as he slouched at the bar in the kitchen. 

“No, you got sick,” she corrected him, her mouth falling in a flat line as she crossed her arms, “and you didn’t think I would notice”

He stammered around a bit under her scrutinous glare until giving up and closing his eyes, letting the steam of his drink caress the thin skin of his eyelids on its ascent. He almost envied the careless way it drifted through the air as it slowly dispersed. 

“Let’s go somewhere,” she said, letting her shoulders fall and the gravity drop from her voice, "We need to do something fun"

“I’m tired,” he mumbled as he laid his head on on the counter. There was no point in hiding from her now if she'd already figured him out. He thought he might as well take advantage of the heaviness in his eyes before night came and the heaviness took him again.

She knew he was exhausted. She knew that she should have forced him back into bed, holding him there until he eventually fell asleep. He seemed to sleep more soundly when he wasn’t alone. It was the reason she often suggested watching television together, because she loved when he would drift off as they cuddled on the couch. But her heart guided her in a different direction. She knew he needed to be reminded that there was more to life than waiting on eventual doom. That this was all temporary and that life for him would take a new shape as soon as they rounded to last corner of his old one. 

“Let’s go ice skating”

Whether it was the abruptness of it or the random nature of the activity she seemed to have conjured out of the back corners of her mind, she didn’t know, but he lifted his head and looked right at her with such intrigue that it lifted the corners of her mouth. She was ready to fight him over it until he sat up fully and cleared his throat. 

“Okay,” he said, nodding more for himself than for her. 

“Okay,” she smiled in return, even though he wasn’t looking. 

* * *

What she had failed to explain to him was that she was a horrible ice skater. Her ankles cried for help even before she laced her boots and she gripped his jacket so tightly she nearly tore it off of him before they were able to glide on to the thick ice of the outdoor rink she’d found on her slate. Link stumbled around only temporarily but seemed to pick it up right up, even gliding around her backwards in a seemingly effortless loop as she windmilled her arms and tried not to imagine the bruises she would have on her backside later. 

“You are a liar,” she accused him playfully, her arms flailing after trying to point at him.

“About what?” he laughed as he took her hand and guided her out further, prying her from the wall she’d been steadying herself on.

“You’ve been ice skating before”

“No, I haven’t. I promise,” he replied softly as she squeezed his hand to prevent herself from falling again, “I had always wanted to but they wouldn’t let me” 

She lost him again for a few moments as he let himself drift. He seemed to snap back though, taking her other hand in his and smiling as she squealed when they began to spin in a gentle circle. As she giggled, he simply watched, transfixed as the world behind her melted and blurred until she was all he could see. She didn’t know how good it felt to him to be able to keep her from falling, if only literally and in that moment. In some small way he felt as if he could repay her for all the times she’d done it for him. He knew what she was trying to do, but he was so raw he could hardly discern her kindness from the fear that had overtaken him. He fought with himself in order to enjoy it. This was what he wanted now. This was what he had to face his father for, so that her face was in the center of every memory he would make for the rest of his life. 

She let him pull her around the rink even when it tickled her stomach to turn. Every few minutes he would turn and look at her and it made her feel weightless. The shape of his hand in hers was a perfect match, even as she felt like she was gripping him for dear life. He didn’t seem to mind, even when her nails scratched at the skin of his palm. For a while he let go of her and made a few circles around the rink by himself, testing out his new skill. It looked so effortless to him. Part of her wanted to feel jealous that he’d picked it up so naturally, but the other part was too busy admiring the way he controlled his body and watching as he seemed so focused on what he was doing. He almost looked serene as he loosely cut the corners and outstretched his hands to feel the cool air rushing over his arms. But he always came back to her, offering his hand as he passed so that she grab him and could carry on with his momentum. 

At one such joining, she stumbled over her feet and fell into him. They collided hard, both falling to the ice in a tangle of limbs before sliding apart from one another on the slick surface. Zelda felt a stinging in her nose and brushed her gloved hand over her skin there, finding a small amount of blood. She quickly forgot about it as she turned to check on Link, whose color fell from his blushed cheeks when he saw that she was injured. He tried to stumble closer to her but slipped and fell again. 

“Link, stop,” she tried as he pushed his seated form over to her in a panic, cupping her face as soon as he was able.

“You’re hurt,” his voice was desperate as he tilted her head to the side.

She’d simply hit her face on his chin on the way down, the hard impact causing a small bloody nose. Other than a little pain and some tearing in her eyes, she was fine. But he looked at her like he’d just ripped out her heart and stepped on it. She couldn’t stand it. He continued to fret over her in a building frenzy as the people around them started to stare. For the briefest of moments, she felt embarrassed, wishing that he could calm himself and let them get up so everyone’s eyes would be elsewhere. It wasn’t a big deal. If it had been Mipha or Paya, they would have laughed it off by then and already made their way to the concession stand for a hot chocolate or something to eat. 

But when she finally looked in his eyes, it all washed away. He wasn’t looking at anyone else. He wasn’t thinking of anything else. He was only focused on her. He wiped the blood from her nose with his scarf, removing her bloodied glove and replacing it with his own even though she knew his hands had to be freezing. He bit his lip as his brows danced across his face in worry. It was then she knew that nothing else mattered. There was only him and only her. Everything else could wait. 

She took his bare hand and squeezed, using her other to lift his face as his eyes darted all around her, seemingly convinced she was hiding a more serious injury.

“Link,” she said softly, lifting his face so that he could look at her properly, “It was just an accident, I’m okay”

“I need you to be okay,” he shivered. 

_ I need to be okay,  _ is what she heard. 

“I am,” she told him, running her thumb along his jawline, “Do you believe me?”

He blinked heavily a few times before nodding. 

“Now let's get up, my ass is cold”

When his smile lifted his cheeks, it dislodged the single tear that had built in his eye. He wiped it away and helped her stand. He let her wrap her arms around his waist so he could guide them both back to the safety of the outside wall. When he let go of her hand to rub at his eyes she knew it was time to leave. She only hoped she’d given him enough happiness to last him a little while longer. 

* * *

When they arrived back home they found the house empty. Zelda checked her slate to see a message from Remy reminding her he’d be working late. They both opted for a shower to bring warmth back to their frigid limbs and ended up tucked under the blankets of Link’s bed, their hair still soggy, the fog from the last shower still clinging to the walls in the bathroom as Link shut the door and joined where she was already wrapped around one of his pillows. She let go of it in favor of replacing it with him and they lay there savoring each other without speaking until Zelda’s hands found their way under his shirt. 

She’d only meant to warm her hands, but the sound he made encouraged her to keep touching, keep feeling, keep listening as he sucked his breath between his teeth and gasped as she traced the scars along his ribcage. Their mouths met with an almost dangerous passion and he moved with a determination she’d never seen from him before. Their hands explored, one of his just on the underside of her breast, refusing to move any closer. When he flipped on top of her almost instinctively, their bodies met in a way that had her longing for more. It was so much more consuming than the brief encounter they'd had at the hotel that she almost couldn't breath. She lifted her knee to push him closer and he nearly melted as the friction between them grew more frenzied. 

Link lost himself to it, chasing every touch. He was drowning and she was dry land. There was a desperation in his movements to feel something other than pain and it took Zelda opening her eyes to look at his face to realize it. 

“Link,” she breathed, stopping him as their bodies came flush together again. She had to stop the sound from escaping the back of her throat as he leaned into her through her clothes, his arms now shaking as they caged her in. 

“Link, stop,” she said softly, lifting her hand to touch his face. 

His eyes were glassy and distant, not quite crying but just enough to rim them in red. It took him a moment to register that she had spoken and he had to blink away the darkness at the corner of his eyes to look down at her. 

“Not like this,” she said tenderly as she caressed his cheek before tucking his fallen hair behind his ear, “I want you to be happy when it happens”  
  
He fell into her limply, his body angled off to the side to avoid crushing her under the weight of it. He lay there and tried to capture his breath as she ran her fingers through his hair. 

“I’ll never be happy,” he choked out eventually. 

She rolled underneath him so that they could lay facing one another, keeping her hand on his face so that he couldn’t look away. 

“You don’t have to hide from me,” she told him, “I may not know how you feel, but I know how I feel about you and there’s nothing you could do that could ever change that”

He let himself feel every ridge in her fingertips, absorb every ounce of her warmth as she held him there. He took a shuddering breath and captured her hand in his own, keeping it on his cheek, but sharing his own body heat with her. 

“I’m scared,” he breathed, his eyes fluttering closed. 

Her expression softened as she watched his lashes tremble. He was trying so hard not to cry. She knew it made him feel weak. He was always trying to hold himself together, bundling the frayed ends of his resolve in an attempt to make something presentable of himself. 

“Me too,” she said quietly, inching closer to him until the tips of their noses were touching and she could feel his pulse through the thin skin of his temple with her hand. 

“I’m a coward,” his voice wavered as they rearranged so that they could hold one another closer. 

“Don’t say that”

“It’s true”

“Stop,” she put a finger on his lip to keep him from disparaging himself anymore, “you’ll only give it power when you say it”

“I’m not magic, Zelda,” he sighed as he opened his eyes to see her, "It's just words." 

It took a second, but a sly grin slowly spread across her face. He narrowed his eyes at her before she schooled herself in an innocent expression, shuffling her legs between them before speaking. 

“That’s not your wand near my leg?”

He felt his mouth fall open before his mortification crashed over him so hard all he could do was turn into the pillow, partially to scream, but then to laugh as his emotions fought for dominance in his exhausted heart. He thought he might simply combust and settle into dust before he would ever be able to look at her straight again. As he came down from his earlier stupor, he blushed hard at the thought of what he had been trying to do. When his mind finally cleared, he turned to her with a scowl on his face to cover his embarrassment but not before shuffling slightly away from her under the covers. 

His face was so red when he finally looked at her that she almost felt remorseful for making light of the heavy moment they’d had. That was until she realized how cute he looked when he was flustered. The look in his eyes was still almost so heady that she found herself squirming under his gaze, flushing as her own enthusiasm for their previous activities surged. 

“I’m sorry,” she giggled nervously as he held her eyes. 

“No you’re not,” he said immediately, the red so bright now it was crawling down his chest. 

She caught the slight lift of his brow when he answered her and started to grin. 

“You’re right, I’m not” 

He let out a deep breath and pulled her close, though she noted that he arched his back away from her so that he could create a little pocket of space between them. Zelda sighed and leaned back into him, letting him choose when to fill the silence. He didn’t, so she reached for the remote at his bedside, turning on a movie. It didn’t take long before she felt his breathing start to slow and his head start to slide down the pillow. She let the thought of him finally getting rest ease the jittery feeling in her own heart. 

“Hey Link?” she said before he could finally succumb to his much needed sleep.

“Hmm?” he hummed groggily, too tired to respond with his usual reply

“I love you. No matter what happens, I want you to remember my voice saying that, okay?”

“Okay,” he whispered as he felt unconsciousness pulling at the back of his eyes, “love you too”

She would keep his words and file them away in her own heart as she lay there and let him rest. She didn’t miss the way he muttered and jerked behind her. Or the way his body would clench and then relax, never free, even in sleep.

“It’s okay,” she whispered to him, “Everything will be alright”

She prayed some part of him heard her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brain while writing a steamy part, "WOAH WOAH WE AIN'T EVER DONE THIS BEFORE WHAT IS YOU DOING"  
> This one is a little short because my LANDLORD messaged me in the middle of writing it?? ??? Talk about a buzz kill. Anyway, just know that sexual tension is not in my wheelhouse and I tried my best. 
> 
> I've just had a strange day. Hope you don't hate it. The angst is coming. Can you smell it? Are you READY>
> 
> I’ve also officially had to start a new google doc for this. Apparently optimal performance falls apart at page 162. I was copying and pasting and was like “why are you so fast now” 🤦♀️


	32. Chapter 32

Remy hated the politics of court. The systematic approach, the procedures, the terms. Link wasn’t Link to them, he was “the minor victim”, their relationship boiled down to the dehumanizing term “temporary legal guardian”. Every step of the way he was reminded that he had no more power over what happened to Link than the little they gave him. No matter how much he had grown to love him or how firmly he had become a part of their family, his parents would always be his parents. Remy would never be his father; not in that way. Soon he would turn eighteen and the law would throw him aside completely anyway, assuming he was mature enough and healed enough to make it on his own without someone to look out for him. It was infuriating. It was heartbreaking. It bothered him so immensely that he couldn’t sit still himself either as he watched Link fidget nervously at the bar. 

Link was no longer trying to hide his emotions. He sat there in his pressed shirt and tie that Remy had tied for him with Zelda combing his hair in all different directions, a scrutinous look in her eye as she observed it from all angles before doing it again, his leg bouncing on the lower bar of the stool he was on so rapidly Remy wondered if it wouldn’t simply detach from his body and fly across the room. 

“I need a new comb,” Zelda announced, “This one does nothing for your waves”

Neither of them had a clue what she meant, but they both watched while she left the room. She seemed to take Link’s spirit with him and he crumbled into his own arms across the counter before him, exhaling so forcefully that he left the ghost of his breath on the smooth surface.

“Hey, come on now. We’ll be there with you,” Remy tried as he put a hand on Link’s back. He noticed that Link had finally stopped flinching at his touch and had taken a deep breath when he felt the shape of his large palm against his spine, almost like he was trying to draw some semblance of calm from it. It was a small victory in the scheme of things, but it made Remy want to fight for him even harder. 

“You said my mom will be there?” he mumbled through his sleeve, turning his head slightly to let the words escape the little den he’d made with his arms. 

“I believe she might be. I can’t say for sure.”

Link nodded, keeping his head shoved into the counter. 

“Will he see me?” he asked as he sat up and started biting his lip. He shoved his hands now under his thighs and continued to bounce on the stool, now with both legs. His nervous energy was making Remy want to put him in a hamster ball. 

“We will be behind him, but they do have to walk him in”

He nodded quickly as he continued worrying his bottom lip. 

“Where has he been this whole time? Is he in jail right now? I don’t understand how that works. Is he chained up? Does that time count for the new time they are giving him? How do they decide? Why do they need to talk to me?”   
The series of questions quickened as each left his lips, his eyes not really locking on one specific thing as they bounced back and forth under his heavy lids. Remy knew he hadn’t slept at all the night before. He’d heard him open the sliding glass door to their backyard as soon as he assumed Zelda was asleep. Sure enough when he’d gone to check, Link sat with his head in his hands, his frame lightly draped in a blanket as he sat on the steps of their deck. Remy chose not to bother him, instead staying up himself to make sure he didn’t fall asleep out there and make himself sick with the cold air. His doctors had made sure to let him know that his left lung was still operating under a normal capacity and couldn’t handle large stressors. An unexpected illness was the last thing any of them needed. 

Remy sighed and put a hand on his arm, causing Link’s eyes to jerk to his face. 

“Take a deep breath, you’re about to pop a blood vessel,” Remy advised. 

Link immediately obeyed, closing his eyes and taking a deep stuttering breath through his nose before slowly letting it go. 

Zelda walked back into the room with a larger tooth comb and a bottle in her hands, her face immediately falling into concern when she saw him, even from behind. She gently placed her objects on the counter and walked up slowly behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, one flattening just on top of his breast bone, and laid her head on his back. She breathed in and out slowly for several minutes, feeling as his chest started to rise and fall in rhythm with her’s. 

“Your heart is racing,” she said calmly as she continued the steady in and out of her breathing. 

“Yeah,” he choked out. 

“Slow down”

They breathed in tandem for what felt like several more minutes as Remy looked on perplexed. Watching them together sometimes felt like watching a dream. The way they interacted was so pure and genuine it almost didn’t feel real. How his rambunctious little girl had matured into this young woman could not only sense the anxiety within Link, but know immediately how to help soothe it was beyond him. Part of him wanted to tease her about it, but he found himself unable to do anything but watch in that moment when their energies were so in sync it was almost like watching a single person. When Link finally opened his eyes again it was to crinkle them at Zelda as he barely smiled through the blush on his cheeks. She smiled back and patted his chest before picking up her comb and going back to work. 

“Well, there’s a lot of unknowns today. But I do know this,” Remy offered, catching Link’s attention again, “Regardless of whatever happens, you’re still coming home with us. That’s not going to change. You may have had to face them alone all your life, but not today. Today you’ve got us” 

Link bit his lip again before nodding quickly in response, the look in his eyes saying, “thank you” without having to mouth the words.

When Zelda was done with her work, she led him to the livingroom and they cozied up on the couch to pass the hour or so before they had to leave. Link leaned on her silently as she traced idly lines up and down his arm while Remy watched on from the doorway. She had always been an affectionate child, constantly reaching up to be held or asking for Remy to toss her on his shoulders. She had wanted constant attention and validation and many of her ailments, whether real or perceived, were instantly solved the moment she curled her small body into his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was bittersweet for him to see her expressing the love that was once just for him to someone else. But just watching the way it seemed to calm Link made it worth it. His heart overflowed with affection for both of them. Briefly, he pictured them much older, perhaps a little one or two scurrying around the house, knocking down picture frames and begging for snacks. He cursed himself for being overly sentimental and he retreated to his own room to dress himself before he started to think of which nickname his grandchildren would call him.

* * *

The court building had an air of intimidation as they walked inside. Given it was in the middle of the week and midday, it wasn’t very crowded either. It was how Mara spotted Link from across the long hall, ripping away from the woman who had accompanied her to run towards him. She was dressed nicely for court and if one didn’t know her, it would be impossible to see how the threads of her new tights or the spot of blush on her cheeks hid the contorted assortment of mental illnesses that were still swirling around in her brain. Though her time spent in recovery and her now levelized medications were helping her to see her own truth, the effects of the last decade spent spiraling in and out of madness still lingered over her like a ghost. 

“Link!” she called, her voice bouncing off the tiled flooring.

He visibly started as she collided with him, holding his arms out rigidly under hers as she wrapped them around his body. He stood there awkwardly until exhaling and leaning into her touch, lightly returning her hug as she gently swayed back and forth repeating his name. 

Zelda did nothing to hide the irritation that was painted in neon letters across her face. She folded her arms and huffed as Mara let go of him and ran her hands down the wrinkles she’d made in his shirt. 

“ _ Fix your face _ ,” Remy whispered harshly to her after elbowing her slightly. 

She grumbled and turned away from him, but not before sucking on her teeth with a look that Remy was sure would make the nearby portraits of past judges start to smolder when Mara ran her hands through Link’s hair, disturbing the perfect placement of his blonde waves around his face.

“Oh baby, you look so handsome,” Mara cooed to him, her caseworker standing off to the side to observe, “Have you been okay?”

“Yes, mom,” he replied simply, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking anywhere but at the people around him. 

“Mr. Hyrule,” she swallowed hard as she nodded at him politely before turning her attention to Zelda. 

“My name is Zelda, it’s nice to meet you,” Zelda offered, much more civilly than Remy had ever imagined. He wasn’t sure if he should be concerned how convincing it was when he knew she wanted to run to the car and scream or possibly hit the woman with the comb he knew was in her bag.

Mara’s eyes lit up in recognition of the name before taking a step back and grabbing Link’s arm, stepping back to talk to him again. He flinched again at her touch and seemed to mumble something under his breath as he turned his attention to her. 

“This is your friend! That one you told us about that day!” she said excitedly before the full memory started to reveal itself to her, “You asked if you could go see her and...and…”

Link stiffened. His father had been particularly ugly that day, especially when he arrived home that night. He’d never told Zelda what happened when he tried to sneak in after spending the evening with her and Remy. Cyril had caught him by the collar on his way down the hall, spinning him hard into the wall until he lost his balance and fell to the ground. He then used the tip of his work boots to crash into his ribs over and over before Link ended up gasping for air. Throughout the entire event, the only words Link recognized as they flew from his mouth were expletives. 

He’d laid in bed the entire day afterwards trying to catch his breath, every moment causing a shockwave of pain that overloaded his senses. He’d only been able to crawl down the hallway to use the bathroom or get a drink of water. He’d cried when he realized he couldn’t charge his slate, having misplaced the cord somewhere between his home and school. He’d grown so used to messaging Zelda that the weight of that communication being stripped from him was making it even harder to breath. Having the slate was like having a piece of her with him. Without her, he felt lost. Mara had locked herself in her bedroom during the event and only checked on him once when she thought he was asleep. He’d eventually healed just enough to go back to school. It was a cycle he was violently used to. 

“My poor baby,” she cried, trying to put a hand on his cheek, but he turned away from her, “I should have...I didn’t even do anything, I just let him...”

“Mara,” her caseworker chimed in, “Take a deep breath. The past is the past, remember? After today, we work on moving forward. Just like we talked about, okay?”

Mara trembled slightly, her grip on Link’s arm now uncomfortable. She shook her head and wiped the beginning of the tears in her eyes as she nodded and let go.

“It starts soon, we should head that way,” Remy said after Link shared a particularly pleading look with him. 

Mara looked between them, one stray tear rolling down her cheek as her eyes fell on Link and Zelda’s interlocked fingers before lifting again to Remy and the way Link had stepped back to be closer to him. She began to silently weep as her caseworker wrapped an arm around her shoulder and ushered her away.

Link simply watched her leave before mouthing a “sorry” to Remy and Zelda. 

Remy shook his head and led them forward with a guiding hand on Link’s back.

“No more apologies for things you can’t control. Let’s get through today and then we can look forward to the rest of our lives, alright?”

“Okay,” he said quietly, swallowing hard as they entered the courtroom.

It was small. The judges platform sat higher above everything else, with only a few tables for the present parties and several benches lined along the back walls for witnesses or others in attendance. Remy, Zelda, and Link shuffled into one of the benches. Remy spied Ms. Leta a row ahead and offered her a polite nod, which she returned before smiling softly at Link who barely managed to tip one of his lips upwards before he looked away. After several moments in awkward, heavy silence, he heard his mother’s voice as she scooted down the bench to sit beside him. Zelda shifted, pulling his hand in her lap before pushing her side further into his as Mara reached for his other hand. Link felt a bizarre mix of hot and cold, like he’d stepped right out of a scalding shower into a light snow. He focused only on the sound of his own breathing as the court began slowly, the words jumbling and mixing together until he heard the shuffling of chained feet and looked up to see his father being escorted to his seat. 

He was clean shaven with his hair cut neat around his ears. The vivid orange of his jumpsuit was a draw to the eye in the wash of the grays and browns of the courtroom, highlighting his every movement. He had a chains around his wrists attached to another around his stomach which connected to an addition set on his ankles. On either side was a guard, each with a grip on one of his arms. He looked steadily ahead with his eyes unfocused, refusing to scan the room as he was led to a table before the judge. 

“Cyril…” he heard his mother choke beside him as she let go of his hand to cover her face. He could feel her body vibrating beside his as the woman to her right whispered affirmations into her ear. As he watched her, he felt Zelda take his other hand into her lap as he started to feel the warmth leave his body. 

He sat through speeches he didn’t understand with terms that left him confused. People spoke on his behalf that he did not recognize, using words that were so foreign to him he could barely make out the point of what they were saying. It seemed as if they were all trying to say the same thing in a variety of different ways. It made the physical exhaustion he felt even heavier as he tried to keep up, but his heart was beating so loud in his ears that it was all he could hear and all he could see was the outline of his father’s back taunting him from a few feet ahead. Eventually, the judge called for any persons of interest to address the court and Remy stood to make his way to the front. 

He’d remembered when Remy had asked him if he could speak during the hearing. The question had taken him off guard. He wasn’t used to being asked anything, much less being asked to give someone permission to do something. He’d agreed, but then declined when Remy had asked him if he wanted to read what he had written first. “ _ I don’t want to share anything you aren’t comfortable with,”  _ he’d said as Link had sat before him. “ _ I trust you,”  _ he’d replied simply. They hadn’t spoken on it anymore after that. 

Remy cleared his throat and shuffled his papers a few times before spending a few seconds looking in the direction Cyril sat. He was sandwiched between his lawyers, his eyes fixed on the table before him, but he seemed to squirm under the weight of his gaze. Remy let the silence fill the room before lightly stretching his shoulders and addressing the judge.

“My name is Remigius Hyrule. The victim,  _ Link, _ ” he emphasized his name as he made eye contact with the judge, “has been under my care since before the end of last year. Though I’ve only been his legal guardian since after the crime, he did briefly reside in my home after admitting to me he didn’t feel safe at his. I admit perhaps it should have been a more difficult decision to allow a young man similar in age to my daughter to move into my home, but the fear in his eyes was the only motivation I needed. It wasn’t easy for him to tell me he was being abused and I’ve come to realize just how much I value the trust he placed in me in that moment and every moment since. It’s why I’m here today at this hearing.

I was also the first person on the scene the day the accused attempted to rob Link of his life. Link had used the slate my daughter had gifted him to reach out to her as he lay bleeding on the floor of his home. When his own parents left him there in a puddle of his own blood, it was her he reached out to.”

Not a sound was heard in the court as Remy spoke. Even the chains that pushed into the skin on Cyril’s wrists were muted as his body sat so still, even the up and down of his breathing was almost indiscernible. 

“I spared my daughter the trauma of having to witness the aftermath of whatever had occurred. I knew at that moment that whatever had happened to Link was not something she needed to see, so I made the decision to go in her place. Because  _ that _ is my job as a father, to protect her.”

His eyes fell once again on Cyril who seemed to squirm slightly under his glare as he began to clench his jaw. 

“Unfortunately, I was unable to spare Link the same kindness since he was living it. As I called emergency services to the location he’d sent, he was actively dying. I managed to beat the first responders there and nearly busted down the door on my way in. What I saw in that house is something I will never forget”

It was then that Remy flexed his shoulders as he tried to fight off the waves of heartache that rolled through him as his mind took him there again. He hadn’t spoken about it since that night and giving the memory a voice caused his throat to tighten and his fists to clench as he pushed them into the wood of the podium he stood before. He swallowed it down and continued.

“He was so  _ cold.  _ The only sign of life I saw from him was the spray of blood that escaped his lungs when he tried to breath. I simply sat there, holding his limp body in my arms as I waited for him to die.”

The judge sat with fixed attention, his face carefully neutral, only nodding slightly to encourage him to continue. Link trembled slightly as Zelda leaned her face into his shoulder to cry silently into the fabric of his shirt. She’d never quite pictured it in that many details and couldn’t get the pale visage of his lifeless face out of her mind as Remy continued to speak. She simply held onto him, relishing the warmth she felt under the clothes. 

“It’s easy to sit here and describe to you the horrors of the crime as the image is still so vivid in my mind. But what’s not so easy to comprehend is what came after. Long after the police had taken their statements and the doctors took their turns poking and prodding him and removing the tubes they’d had to place in his body to help repair the damage that had been done, he came home to me. 

Or at least, a part of him did. I believe that a part of Link did die that day. It was weeks before he smiled again. There were days I’m not sure he even opened his eyes. He spent many days secluded in his bedroom, convinced he was too much of a burden to ask for help. It’s hard to blame him when that narrative was what he had been convinced of his entire life. Only recently has he started to open up more and realize there is more to life than being beaten and constantly having to prove you’re worthy of living. 

He had to relearn what it meant to a part of a family. Up until the last few weeks, he still flinched when I came near, almost like a part of him still expected that type of punishment, even as far removed from that situation as he was. It took us weeks to get him to stop asking permission to eat or do anything in the house. He’s still mindful of the evidence he leaves of his existence in each room he passes through, always putting away his dishes or laundry as soon as he uses them. It hurts me to imagine that he had to live knowing that a single bowl in the sink might result in a broken arm or a bruise across his chest or from what we know now, even a fatal wound. What special kind of torture is that for a child? To have to live knowing that the person who is supposed to keep you safe is the most dangerous person of all?”

He took a moment to turn the page, taking a deep breath as he looked around the room. He had captured everyone’s attention. The only dry eyes left were the ones of the judge, the lawyers, and Cyril, who had started flexing the muscles in his wrists as he squeezed his fists under the table. Even the guards looked uncomfortable, rapidly blinking in an attempt to stay stoic. 

“It’s hard for me to stand here as a father and not see Link as a son. What’s even harder is standing in the same room as the man who has every right to lay claim to that title that I would gladly fight for, who chose instead to try and take his life. Not just the night of the crime, but every night before. That man has been trying to murder Link his entire life, but thankfully for everyone in this room, he managed to fail. Link is an incredible young man and I want everyone in this courtroom to know how proud I am of what he’s accomplished given all that’s happened to him.”

Zelda smiled gently as Link closed his eyes, a single tear tracing the curve of his nose before pushing into the corner of his mouth. He tasted the salt it left there as he took a shuddering breath in. 

“As you decide how to sentence this man, this  _ father,  _ if you can really call him that, I want you to consider how many years of Link’s life were stolen from him at his hands. Link was imprisoned for seventeen years. Seventeen years where he had to live in fear of his own father. Seventeen years that left him with more than just physical scars. But unlike this man who sits before you, the man who so far has refused to even  _ glance _ in his son’s direction,  _ his son  _ who hasn’t slept since I told him about this hearing,  _ his son  _ who suffers nightly panic attacks as the memories of his past haunt him when he tries to sleep,  _ his son _ who he has not seen since he shoved a 12 inch kitchen knife between his ribcage, unlike  _ that man,  _ Link was guilty of no crime other than being born into a family that couldn’t be bothered to love him like he deserved.  Thank you.”

“Thank you for your statement, Mr. Hyrule,” the judge said as the spell that had befallen the entire room began to dissipate as Remy walked back to his seat, “I would ask now for Mr. Faron to come share his statement with the court”

It took Zelda nudging his side for Link to realize he’d been addressing him and not his father. He’d kept his eyes trained on the back of his father’s head, watching as the muscles in his neck twitched during Remy’s speech. He felt the weight of everything slowly crush him into the wood of the bench beneath him as everyone turned to watch his response. 

“Link…” Zelda whispered, “It’s your turn”

He looked at her then, their eyes meeting in that way they did the first day they’d truly met. But now there was so much more between them. As he sat there, his heart raging in his chest, he remembered the vision of her face as he swirled her around the skating rink; the promise he’d made to himself. This was what he wanted. The  _ life _ he wanted, with Zelda at the center. She was the first person he’d ever met that looked at him with genuine joy. The first person who ever made him feel as though he existed to be more than a scapegoat for everything that was wrong in the world. She made him feel whole. She had taught him that if she could love him, perhaps he could learn to love himself. 

“I love you,” she whispered, a hand on his cheek, “No matter what happens. I’ll be here” 

He held her words in his heart as he stood and walked to the podium. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love a good cliffhanger! Don't we? ....hello? 
> 
> I know it's been a few days but here is an extra long chapter for you. I had to go back to an earlier chapter to remember how to spell Remy's full name. It's actually a real name of a Saint, you can google it if you want. Anyways! I used Link's inner battle to help me not have to write court proceedings. I'm sure you probably didn't want to sit through that anyway. Let's just assume whatever my version of court is is just how they do it in Hyrule. Alright, okay. 
> 
> The gangs all here, y'all! You know that meme of the dog in the room on fire? That's Link right now. "This is fine"


	33. Chapter 33

As he stood before the old wooden podium, his speech laying before him on the smooth surface like flowers on a grave, his hands shook. He tried to cover it by holding the paper Remy had printed at his office for him, but then he was unable to read the words. He pulled at the collar of his shirt in an attempt to alleviate some of the heat that was radiated from his core, his eyes drifting upwards to look at the judge who seemed to loom over him ominously. Everyone was watching. Just like when Remy was speaking, their eyes were trained on him. But he wasn’t like Remy. He wasn’t brave, nor was he confident enough that his words meant enough to be shared. He wasn’t the strongest writer and had done his best, but after hearing Remy he thought he would sound like a babbling child. He tried to take a deep breath, but his chest pushed back. Briefly his eyes darted to where his father sat, staring down at his own table. He squeezed his eyes shut as his heart leapt to the back of his throat.  _ Not like this,  _ he told himself inside his mind,  _ Don’t do this here.  _

“Your honor, clearly the boy is in no position to provide the court with a statement. I motion to move forward with the proceedings,” the unfamiliar man beside Remy spoke up. His lawyer. Link hadn’t noticed how many minutes had gone by as he started to melt under his dress shirt when the man looked at him as if to analyze his every movement for a potential opportunity. 

“Your motion is overruled,” the stoic judge replied immediately, “and I ask that you remember that not only is Mr. Faron the victim of this crime, but also a minor.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” the man replied before sitting down. 

During the exchange Link felt the room start to spin. His vision blurred as he swallowed down the sudden wave of nausea that began to creep into the pit of his stomach. 

“I…um…” he cleared his throat before the panic latched itself on completely. He dropped the papers on the desk and turned his body back towards where he knew Remy and Zelda were, the horror in his eyes as visible as the color as his shirt. But he didn’t have to move any further since Zelda was already there. She’d risen from her seat when she noticed the way his shoulders were shaking. Remy had lightly grabbed her elbow, knowing it would have been improper for her to interrupt the court proceedings, but all it took was one look at Link to give her a nod and let her go. She flew to his side immediately, one hand on his cheek and the other on his racing heart. 

“Breathe,” she said as quietly as she could in the hushed court room as he sputtered for breath, his eyes now so dilated they were no longer blue, “Link, look at me”

He closed his eyes as another wave hit him and his knees went weak. She grabbed him by the elbows and followed him to the floor. 

“Clear the courtroom,” the judge ordered as the onlookers looked on unabashed. 

Slowly the room cleared, even Cyril was led away to a back room, having briefly glanced in Link’s direction on his way out, but not speaking a word. 

“Is there ice here?” she asked, looking around her as the guards rushed to his side. 

“Um, there’s a machine in the break room, why?” one of them asked before sharing a confused look with his partner. 

“Get me ice,” she snapped at them, the command in her voice hard to ignore despite her diminutive stature. 

“Yes, ma’am,” the large man replied as he turned from where Link sat on his knees trying to catch his breath. 

“I can’t....I can’t….” he tried, the tears flowing freely from his eyes now.

She shushed him, “Don’t try, just breathe” 

Remy knelt down beside Zelda, his hand placed on the middle of Link’s back. He was warm to the touch and visibly sweating as he squeezed his eyes shut. When the guard finally returned with a small plastic bag of ice, Zelda took it from his hands before placing it on the back of his neck. After several tense moments, Link finally exhaled and slackened, his eyes slowly opening to look at the small group of people around him. Zelda lurched forward and wrapped him in a hug that he gladly returned, nuzzling into the side of her neck as he felt Remy wrap the long length of his own arms around them both. 

“I’m sorry,” he cried into her neck as Remy rubbed his back, “I’m sorry”

“What did I say about apologizing for things you can’t control?” Remy responded calmly, letting go of them both as the judge approached. 

“Pardon me for interrupting, but I wanted to offer you the back room. I’ve given the court a recess. Take however long you need. If that means the rest of day, just let one of the guards here know and I’ll arrange it”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Remy replied with a curt nod which he returned before turning and walking out the back doors. 

Zelda escorted him by the elbow into the small room and he continued to lean into her side, covering his face with his hands as they sank into the cushions of an old couch. The guards left them alone for privacy and Remy visibly let go of his tension the moment they shut the door. 

“I want you to remember my offer, Link. I will gladly read what you’ve written. No one is forcing you to do this. You have control here, remember?” 

He shook his head as he continued to manually control his breathing.

“ _ Why does that happen to me _ ?” he asked pitifully, his eyes slightly swollen, his pupils slowly settling back into their normal place. Remy wanted nothing more than to swoop him up and rescue him from it all. He wanted to see him snuggled into a blanket on his couch, grinning as Zelda showed him something silly on her slate. But he knew this was something Link had to suffer through if he were to ever move past it. He only wished he could somehow make it easier.

“It’s just a panic attack,” Zelda explained, holding his hand.

“But why?” he whimpered, wiping his eye with his free hand, “Why today? Why right now?” 

“Because you haven’t seen your dad since that night. Because both of your parents are here, under the same roof. The last time that happened, you almost died,” Remy added gently, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“He won’t look at me,” Link cried, looking up at the ceiling while the tears flowed down his cheeks, “I knew he didn’t care before. I just had hoped…” he sucked in a breath, closing his eyes momentary as Zelda squeezed his hands, “I just thought maybe...maybe he’d care now. Why am I so stupid?” he scoffed as he shook his head. 

“Look at me,” Zelda said forcefully, taking both of his cheeks in her hands. He obeyed, his redlined eyes looking at her weakly as she stared straight past them into the deepest parts of his heart that no one else had even known were there. He shrank under her touch but held her gaze. Though she was fierce, she was not a threat to him and he knew it. 

“You are not stupid. You know who is stupid? Your fucking dad.”  
  
“Zelda! This is a courtroom!” Remy whispered angrily as he looked at the door, half expecting the judge to holler, “ _Order in the court!”_ through the thick wood. 

But she ignored him and kept going, “He _chose_ to be here. I want you to remember that. He is here because of his own actions. After today, you and I get to go live our lives. We’re going to go home and cook dinner. Next week we’ll go back to school. Maybe soon we’ll get to go on another vacation or ice skate again or try to remake that recipe we tried for that cake that ended up more like some kind of weird pudding, or Goddess knows what else we'll get into. But he won’t get to do anything. Because he made a  stupid  decision and now he’s here. This is all  _ his fault.  _ Not yours. You’re just here to do a job."

She had completely stolen his attention and everything else seemed to fade away as she talked. Remy watched as his shoulders slowly sagged and his hands went limp as they lay at his side, his face still firmly in her hands to keep him from looking away.

“You have one job today and it’s just to read that paper,” she continued, “That’s it. You don’t have to do anything else. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll do it. Or Dad. But it’s all your choice, okay? This isn’t something your Dad is making you do. This isn’t a punishment. I know it feels like it because he’s sitting right there. But don’t think of it as something you  _ have _ to do. Think of it as something you _get_ to do. You finally get to tell the truth without fear of what he will do to you. He can’t touch you. No one can touch you. If they try, my Dad will throw them through that wall, okay? And then I’ll kick them while they’re down. I have no shame.”

He smiled softly and Zelda relaxed at the sight of it, pulling him in for another embrace. She held him there until they heard a soft knock at the door. Remy cracked it open and had a shushed conversation before opening it completely and letting one of the guards in.

“Judge Thadd has asked for an update. How will we proceed?” he asked bluntly as he eyed Link and Zelda on the floor.

Zelda turned to meet eyes with him as he wiped the upset from his face. 

“I can do it,” he told her before shifting his focus and repeating it to the guard, “I can do it” 

“Very well, I will inform the court”

When they were left alone for the second time, Remy joined them, wrapping his arm around Link’s shoulder to give him a squeeze when he noticed his chin was still quivering. 

“I bet that guy is no fun at the court holiday party," he tilted his head towards the door, "I bet they don’t even invite him”

Link let out a single airy laugh as he exhaled and lifted himself up from the dusty couch that served as the single piece of furniture in the tiny back room of the court Zelda had led him to. Briefly he wondered if his father was in a similar room. He pushed it away and took another deep breath and looked at Remy and Zelda. 

“I can do it,” he repeated again. He wasn’t sure if it was for them or for himself, but he needed to say it all the same. 

“I trust you,” Remy smiled back at him. It was the last push he needed to open the door.

* * *

The next time he stood before the court, he did so unmoving; not from fear but from determination. He wouldn’t let his father control him anymore. Not at home, not at Zelda’s, not at school, and certainly not in that courtroom. He thought of Zelda’s words as he looked at the man he’d once loved and feared all at the same time. The man whose attention he’d desperately craved, even if it meant spending days recovering from facing his ire when all he'd wanted was a conversation or if he dreamed, even a kind look. He was the third stick figured he’d drawn as a child, always standing dutifully beside his mother in the portraits he’d drawn, a crooked waxy smile taunting him from the scrap paper they’d let him use to draw. He had lived his entire life under his thumb. But not anymore.  _ He can’t touch you,  _ she’d said. He knew now it was true. 

“Mr. Faron, you may proceed,” the judge stated, nodding in Link’s direction as he waited for a signal to start. 

He cleared his throat, picked up his paper, and began to read. 

“My name is Link. Um, Link Faron. But you already know that,” he started anxiously, pushing his weight back and forth between his feet as he stood, “When I was little, I would watch a lot of TV. I wasn’t allowed to pick what was on, but I liked to watch anyway. He said...um...my Dad said I could watch as long as I was quiet. If I said anything, he’d make me go to my room. I didn’t like being in there all by myself, so I tried very hard not to say anything. I wasn’t always the best at that...but sometimes I was.”

He lifted his eyes a moment, noticing the intrigued look on the judge's face before swallowing and looking back down.

“I saw a lot of different families on TV. I didn’t...I mean... I don’t have grandparents. Or aunt or uncles. Or cousins. It was always just us, so I didn’t really know that other families weren’t just like mine. But I figured it out from watching TV. I noticed that my Dad wasn’t like other Dads. He never smiled when he saw me after work. He didn’t tell me good morning or kiss me goodnight or ask me how my day was. He didn’t make jokes or pick me up and swing me around like the other fathers I saw. He only ever looked at me like I was something in his way. The only time he paid any attention to me was to tell me I’d done something wrong or punish me for something I did, even when I didn’t really understand what I’d done wrong.”  
  
He stilled the shaking in his hands as he took another breath. Beside him, he heard the brief rattling of the chains around his father’s body as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He knew the anger that was building inside him. He let the thought fuel him rather than bring him fear. 

“I think the times he hurt me it was almost easier. I mean, easier than the days he would lock me in my room instead. I learned how to wrap my arms when they were bent, how to put ice on a bruise, or how to keep blood from staining my clothes. Sometimes, my mom would even help me when she thought he didn’t notice, even though she was sick a lot and I had to take care of myself most of the time...But I never was very good at making the time pass by when he locked me in there. Sometimes it was just a few hours. Sometimes it was an entire day. It's hard to tell time when all you have is a window and your imagination. ”

He heard the people behind him start to murmur and glanced at his father’s table to see his lawyers whispering into his ear as he clenched his jaw and kept his face turned away. He was making him angry and he knew it. 

“He would always tell me that it was for my own good. I was safer in there. I couldn’t run away and tell the world about what was happening inside our house. But...I don’t think he ever understood that I didn’t want to run away. All I wanted was to be with them. On those nights, I’d drag my blanket off my bed and curl up by the door. I would watch the way the shadows of the TV changed color and shapes on my floor as they snuck through the crack of my doorframe. I used to imagine what show they were watching based on how fast or slow they were. I would wait right there by the door just in case he would change his mind and come get me. But he never did. I would eventually fall asleep and the cycle would start all over again.”

He took another minute to catch his breathe, squeezing his eyes shut as he willed the tears to stay at bay. He didn’t want to appear weak in front of his father again. For years he’d been silenced and penalized for using his voice, for once he wanted to take advantage of having someone's attention before it was gone. 

“I didn’t actually remember at first what happened when I woke up in the hospital. I just remember being really scared and worrying about my mom. When the police officer told me they were looking for my Dad I thought he’d hurt her even though I was the one in the hospital. I guess I just wasn’t used to worrying about myself. But it started to come back slowly. One day at home...I mean, Zelda’s house," he quickly corrected himself, "a knife fell on the floor and I...I kind of remembered that part then.”

He shook his head as he remembered that moment. He hadn’t been able to put a name to it then. He’d simply felt like he was dying and he didn’t understand why. His mind now felt sluggish in the aftermath just as it had then, but he pushed forward despite it. 

“I wanted it not to be true,” he choked out, squeezing the edges of the paper as he knew he was nearing the end, “I wanted it to be just another story I'd made up in my mind to pass the time. He’d hurt me so many times that I knew it had to be true, but he’d never hurt me like  _ that _ . And then they…” he looked up at the ceiling as he swallowed again, “And then they just left me,” his voice cracked as he closed his eyes. 

If Remy’s speech left the audience misty eyed, Link’s left it flooded. His mother openly wept and even Remy stopped bothering to wipe the tears from his cheeks, letting them flow freely as Link unleashed the pain he’d been holding on to for so many years. 

“I’m supposed to be writing to tell you how to decide how long to give him for doing this to me. But I don’t know. I  _ don’t know,”  _ he shrugged his shoulders as he gestured with his hands to emphasize his words, “I’ve never been important enough to make a decision like that. I’ve never been important at all. If it wasn’t for Zelda and Remy, I don’t even think I would be here. So I just have to trust that you know a lot better than I do.”

He crumbled his speech in his hands as he locked eyes with the judge, whose face was soft as he regarded him.

“All I know is that I want to go home. I want to go home with Zelda and with Remy. I have a bedroom there that doesn't have a lock on the outside. They don't scream at me for talking too loudly or asking for something to eat. They include me in everything they do. They _love me._ I want to wake up and walk downstairs and help Zelda cook breakfast because she’s impatient and cooks everything on high. I want to sit at Remy’s office and do my homework so I don’t fail school. I want to paint. I want to fall asleep on the couch watching a movie and wake up to Zelda instead of a nightmare. I just want to be  _ normal  _ even though I don’t think I ever will be. I just want to try and I can’t until this is over...Thank you,” he sniffled as he looked down, squeezing the paper in his hands so tightly he thought it might thread into his skin. 

“You may be seated, Mr. Faron. The Court thanks you for your raw and honest testimony.”

He didn’t remember walking to his seat, or the way his mother violently grabbed his hand to sob into it. He didn’t remember Remy stretching his arm across the bench behind Zelda’s back to squeeze his shoulder. He lost himself inside his own mind until the judge called everyone’s attention and he managed to look up from his lap.

“The court has acknowledged the arguments made by the attorneys in this case. The court has considered the statements given by the victim and other persons of interest. The court also finds the plea agreement fair and reasonable under the circumstances,” he began by reading off the printed page before him before lifting his eyes, “I’ve ruled over many cases involving child abuse in my twenty years here as judge. These are the cases that keep my mind reeling at night. These are the victims that keep me here in this chair. Looking at the evidence in this case, I have to say this is quite possibly one of the most vile, most shocking, most heart wrenching cases I’ve ever seen inside my courtroom, particularly one where the victim was fortunate enough and might I say, _ brave _ enough, to be able to share his own story with us today. That being said, I am imposing the maximum sentence of 10 years for the crime of second degree attempted murder.”

Remy bit back his anger and attempted to keep himself in his seat as it boiled over within him. Mara cried out loudly, pulling her hand away from Link as she attempted to stand before being held back by her social worker. Link simply turned into Zelda and closed his eyes, counting the beats of her heart as it thumped to a steady rhythm in her neck.

“So the Court is going to sentence Mr. Faron as follows: With regards to the charge of attempted second degree murder as it relates to Link Faron, the court is going to sentence you to 10 years in the Hyrule Department of Corrections with an additional mandatory parole period of 3 years as set forth by statute. That will be the sentence of the court.”

With the pounding of the gavel, the nightmare that was Link’s childhood came to a theoretical end. As Cyril was pulled to his feet, he kept his eyes locked on the ground, chewing aggressively on the inside of his cheek. 

“You fucking coward,” Remy seethed loudly from his seat, “You can’t even turn around and face him!” 

“No! Cyril!” Mara shouted out, drowning out all other sounds in the courtroom. 

Cyril stopped his slow retreat as he let his head turn slightly to the side, shaking it slightly in her direction as he let them lead him away, the door shutting with a deafening thud before Mara collapsed into herself where she sat.

“Mom?” Link said quietly, leaning away from Zelda to try and console her, “Are you okay?”

She ignored him as she wept and cried Cyril’s name, her shoulders shaking as it ripped through her entire body. 

“Don’t cry, mom. He...he earned that sentence. He broke the law,” Link said calmly as he reached out his hand to touch her arm. 

She ripped away from his touch and turned into the social worker at her side and she too was ushered away from him, but not before the woman met his eyes to mouth a soft “I’m so sorry” as she pulled Mara to her feet. 

Zelda wrapped her arm around his waist as they too left the courtroom. They didn’t say a word as they made the long walk to the car. Remy was the last to enter, shutting out all the outside noise with the slam of his car door. 

“Well...it’s over,” he stated as he turned the engine over, looking in the rearview mirror as Link lay his head down on Zelda’s shoulder.

“It’s over,” Zelda echoed. 

“Yeah” Link added as he closed his eyes. He was asleep before they pulled out of the parking lot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have court stuff! Zelda dropping the F bomb and getting in trouble and then Remy doing the same thing like 5 minutes later! We have the guards trying to earn their street cred back after almost crying but getting bossed around by Zelda instead! We have panic attacks and sweet Zelink hugs! It's 2am and I'm not tired! Yay!
> 
> Link's speech is a lot shorter than Remy's for what I think are obvious reasons. He did his best to get through even that much. I had to stop and consider how horrific it would be to face your parent in a setting like that after everything that occurred. Poor guy is exhausted. I don't know if you've ever had a panic attack, but they aren't fun and can knock you out. 
> 
> Maybe he'll get some r&r next chapter and maybe I'm a masochist. Time will tell.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mention of self harm

Link stumbled down the stairs, the deep impressions of the folds in his sheets etched into his face, before collapsing onto the couch and closing his eyes again. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it was now dark outside. He had been tempted to join Zelda in her room when he passed by, but he found himself drifting downstairs. Perhaps he was hungry, perhaps he wanted to simply remind himself he had the freedom to leave whenever he wanted. He’d done too much remembering. 

The house was quiet, only the soft hum of the ceiling fan cutting the silence as he let his eyes drift open and closed. He’d stretched awake in his bedroom and slid out of the stuffy court clothes he’d fallen asleep in so that he could pull on his joggers and a shirt, which he'd found folded at the edge of his bed. One glance at the clock over the mantle told him it was late. Everyone was likely in bed. He wondered if his father was sleeping on a thin mattress somewhere. Or his mother. Had she even noticed he’d left? He’d never said goodbye to her. When would he see her again? Why did he even care? He sighed and stood from the couch, stumbling into the kitchen before spying a familiar shape sitting on the deck. 

Remy sat draped in a blanket, nursing some type of beverage in his hands. Link tapped on the back glass and he startled before smiling and tilting his head in an invitation to join him. Link slipped on one of Remy’s coats and a pair of slippers before squeezing out of a small crack in the door in order to keep the heat of the house from escaping. He didn’t want Zelda to be cold. 

“Am I in your spot?” Remy asked as he raised a brow as Link sat beside him. 

Link smiled softly and shook his head, wrapping himself tighter in Remy’s coat.

They sat in comfortable silence as a gentle snow began to fall. Link held out his hand beyond the covered space where he sat and watched as the soft flakes melted on his skin while Remy looked on. It was hard to imagine the life Link had described that morning in court. He wondered how anyone could ever look at such a gentle soul and feel anything but the desire to be close to him. He was just so easy to love. He was gentle and quiet and always seemed so lost inside his own mind. Remy wondered how much of that was his nature and how much was learned to survive. He kept going back to that little school photo, to the bruises on little Link's face, likely caused by the hands that belonged to the man he'd now seen with his own eyes. His mind spiraled back to the reason he’d come outside and he pushed the ugly feeling of anger back down again as he took another long drink from his cup, letting the alcohol burn on the way down. 

“Ten years,” he said, watching as the words condensed before him before lifting away, “You’ll be...almost 28 years old. What will you be up to then?” 

He watched him out of the corner of his eyes, a perfectly formed snowflake caught on his flashes. He looked so peaceful as he thought it over before blinking it away.

“I didn’t think I’d make it that far,” he confessed as the familiar shade of sadness crawled over his face as a thought seemed to occur to him, “Can I...can I tell you something? Something...I've never told anyone else?" he shifted nervously, licking his bottom lip before his eyes flicked up to see his reaction.

“Even Zelda?” Remy asked, suddenly nervous about whatever Link was about to say, particularly if he'd kept it from her. She seemed to be the only one he was truly himself around. 

"Even Zelda" 

Remy swallowed and nodded, bracing himself.  Link took a moment before clearing his throat and readjusting his posture. 

“Before I met Zelda, I didn’t really have any friends. I wasn’t allowed”

Remy pat him on the back and shook his head before downing the rest of his drink. He figured he was about to need it. 

“So I was kind of just...alone all the time,” Link continued, connecting the sleeves of the long coat so he could grab his hands together in the long tube and wrap it around his knees. 

“Well, there was one night, it was actually just like this. It had just started to snow...it was so cold outside. My mom had been in bed for days. I learned after a while that when that would happen, my Dad’s mood would sour and I had to be extra careful. But, I never really knew what would set him off. That day he’d done nothing but scream at me. I think I even got in trouble for walking too loudly” 

Remy closed his eyes and pictured it now that he had a face for Link’s memories. All it made him want to do was storm down to whatever dark hole they were holding that excuse for a man in and slam him into a wall the same way he’d done to Link countless times. But he bit it down and nodded, encouraging Link to continue. 

“I just wanted to sleep,” Link’s voice cracked, feeling the emotions of that night swelling up inside him again, “I figured if whatever Mom was taking would knock her out for that long, if I took a whole bottle then maybe...maybe I just wouldn’t wake up.”

Remy dropped his cup and it clattered down the rest of the steps before gently rocking back in forth in the new dusting of snow, leaving a visibly soft trail of its movement. 

“Oh Gods…” Remy choked out, but Link kept going, silent tears falling from his eyes without any effort.

“I was just so tired. I was tired of being hurt all the time. I don’t think anyone understands that I was  _ always hurt.  _ There was always something on me that was constantly aching and I wasn’t allowed to ask for help or tell anyone. I just wanted it to end. I knew no one would care. But I was also scared of dying. I didn’t want that to hurt too.”

Remy sniffed hard as he turned his full attention to Link, his own tears stinging at the corner of his eyes. Link couldn't quite look at him, so he took a deep breath and kept going.

“My Dad found me the next day. I guess I puked most of it back up. I must have been disgusting, but I don’t remember anything between when I took them and when I woke up. My stomach was so sore it hurt to breathe, so I must have puked for a long time, but I have no way of knowing. He just picked me up and threw me in the bathroom to shower and never mentioned it again. I was disappointed that I woke up. I think he was too. It would have been such an easy way out for both of us”

Remy couldn’t stand the distance between them any longer and pulled Link hard into him, squeezing as he pushed his head against his chest like a child. 

“I’m glad you woke up,” Remy cried openly as he held him, “I love you, son. And I don’t have to tell you that Zelda does too. I’m just so sorry I didn’t find you sooner”  
  
Eventually they pulled apart and both took a minute to wipe their faces which were blushed from their upset and the weather. The warmth of their tears was quickly replaced with the chill of the winter air kissing the curves of their faces as the new snow played in Link's hair which stuck out from his hood. 

“I need you to promise me something,” Remy said firmly as Link rearranged himself on the cold deck, “I _need_ you to tell me if you ever feel that way again. I _want_ you to tell me. Or tell anybody you feel comfortable with, okay? I'm not your Dad. I do care if you live to see another day. I would be more than disappointed if you didn't wake up. I'd be...I can't even go there.”

The look on Link’s face was woeful as he said with his eyes what he couldn’t say with his words. That the memory he’d shared wasn’t an anomaly. That he kept those same sorrows packed away with everything else, yet another thing he had to battle with just to get out of bed in the morning. But then he softened and a bashful look overtook him. 

“Could you be?” he asked quietly, “My Dad...I mean…”

Remy felt so much fondness for him in that moment that he had to stop himself from pulling him back into another hug. He wasn’t Zelda. He didn’t have a lifetime of experience to learn how to deal with Remy’s random bouts of affection. He wasn’t used to being shown that type of attention. It was something Remy desperately wanted to change. 

“I do have the option of adopting you, yes,” he explained slowly, “But I haven’t started the process”

“Why?” he sounded very much like a child, particularly as he sat there wrapped in the much larger coat.

“Because, well…” he cleared his throat, “That would make you officially a Hyrule by adoption. You and Zelda would be siblings in the eyes of the law. If things progress and you two...um...well, if you two want to pursue a uh... _ different  _ kind of future together, that might make things a little awkward. There’s more than one way to join a family, if you catch my drift.”

"Oh, okay," he blushed as he worked through what Remy meant. He never really was used to reading between the lines, but it hit him eventually and made a new type of nervousness erupt inside him. 

“But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn't have,” Remy quickly clarified, “I would drive down there and adopt you right this second if you wanted me to. Do you want me to?”  
  
Link looked at him and for once he seemed content with his answer, “No, thank you. I’m happy just to be here like this”

“And I’m happy to have you around as long as you’re willing to put up with us. I had always wanted a son, you know”

Link's face shifted into a look of contemplation as he listened. 

“I told Leora, my wife,” he added for clarification as Link promptly nodded, “that I wanted two kids. A boy and girl. She agreed. It just felt right. Zelda came first, obviously, but then Leora got sick.”

“I’m sorry,” Link breathed, feeling the mood somber.

“You want to know something crazy though?” Remy asked as he leaned forward as if he were about to tell a secret, “I had already picked out a boy's name. Leora would have fought me on it for sure and I probably would have lost because I always gave into her. She wanted to name a boy after her father, Leo, because I'm not close with mine. But there was one name I wanted most of all. She told me it was cliché, particularly when paired with Zelda, and that everyone would judge us for it. But I didn’t care. To me, they were a set that belonged together.” 

“What was it?” Link asked, the light of the moon haloing the silhouette of his head against the night sky. 

“It was Link,” he responded simply, watching as every emotion flitted across Link’s face before his eyes lit up with tears. Not the same tears that fell in his bedroom at night. Not the same tears that flowed from his face during court, but full, happy tears. Ones that spoke of a broken heart slowly being pieced back together, “I got the son I always wanted. Perhaps more than a decade later than I had hoped, but he’s here all the same. It’s almost as if she sent you to me to complete us. Our family is whole now.” 

It was Link that leaned forward and initiated their next hug and Remy let him decide when to let go. When he did, he wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled bashfully as he shivered under his coat. 

“Thank you,” he said quietly as he felt the cold winter air seeping into his bones. 

“You’re welcome, now let's go inside before you freeze”

* * *

Although to everyone else’s eyes and ears, Zelda could appear snippy and overly sarcastic, in the end she always listened to her father. She always had. That was how she ended up getting dressed for school the next day while Link lounged on the couch. Even though he’d won the battle, as he knew he would, that didn’t stop her from complaining. 

“He’s going to be lonely,” she pouted as she pulled her hair to the side to braid it as she glowered at Remy, who had decided to work from home the rest of the week just to keep an eye on Link. After hearing his confession the night before, he felt compelled to let him slowly transition back into regular life and allow his heart some time to heal away from the thousands of eyes and whispers of nosey teenagers. He had called to switch him back to online school for the next week. Although Link hadn’t quite displayed the same level of lethargy that had befallen him before, Remy knew him well enough to see he still wasn’t himself. 

Zelda had simply assumed she was following the same plan until he’d completely derailed her by explaining she didn’t need to miss more of her senior year. She’d fought him on it, but she respected him too much and would never openly defy him, choosing instead to spend the rest of her energy pouting and trying to guilt trip him into changing his mind. 

“And what am I, a ghost? I'll be here" he said as he sipped on his coffee and watched her shoved her things in her backpack. 

“So you two get to stay here all day while I go to school?” she frowned as she looked between them. Link was still in his sweats, his hair a mess as he curled up on the couch. She knew he hadn’t eaten since before court and was worried he’d go the rest of the day without if she didn’t remind him. When his mind switched into that place, he tended to forget to care for himself, often going days without eating or taking a shower unless she prompted him to. She had been determined to spend the whole day nursing him back to health until Remy had thrown a wrench in her plans.

“Yep,” Remy replied shortly as he blew the heat from atop his mug.

She let out a dramatic sigh before kneeling down before Link. 

“Did you eat breakfast?” she asked gently, despite her earlier attitude. 

“I’m not hungry”

Her eyes scrunched tight as she tried in vain to straighten his hair before kissing him on the forehead. 

“Try to eat something, okay? I’m just worried about you” 

He nodded with a gentle smile on his lips before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. 

“I will, I promise. It’s not like…” his eyes fell a moment as he looked off to the side, “It’s not like the other times. I’ll be okay... I think” 

She returned his smile and wiped at her eye before standing. 

“You’re not going off to war. We will be back together in a few hours,” Remy said as he watched their exchange. 

“Love you,” she told Link as he walked out the door. 

“Love you too, my Princess!” Remy yelled back as she rolled her eyes. 

Only a moment later, his slate pinged. 

_ Will you make him breakfast? He’ll eat if you cook him something, but he won’t just get up and grab it himself. _

He looked over at Link who now had his back turned to him as he lay on the couch covered in a blanket, his slate in his hands as he read a book on the dimmed screen. 

_ Any suggestions?  _ He sent back, with a series of food icons. He knew it annoyed her when he overused them and was feeling bored.

_ He likes everything. Make bacon. Tell him to shower before therapy too.  _

Remy leaned his head to peak out the front window, spying her car running in the driveway. She’d barely made it out of the garage before stopping to message him. He knew it was going to be a long week. He smiled regardless. 

_ Yes, Your Highness,  _ he sent back with a grin, imaging her reaction as she read it. He then heard Link’s slate ping. Remy watched as he opened the message bubble and chuckled under his breath. 

“She says she’s sorry she has to leave me with you and if I want to run away, she’ll meet me wherever,” he said without turning around. 

“Oh, you should go to Eldin. The volcano is really active this time of year”

“So she can fall in it?” 

Remy let out a hearty laugh before standing and stretching, feeling his spine crackle. 

“I heard you can cook an egg on the rocks around the base of it. Speaking of which, I’m starving. Care to join me for breakfast?”

Link was quiet for a moment before he clicked off his slate and turned around. 

“Do we have bacon?” he eventually asked as he rubbed at his eyes. 

Remy shook his head in humorous disbelief at Zelda’s uncanny ability to read Link’s mind as he held back a laugh. 

“Bacon sounds divine. Come on, you can help me”

* * *

Later in the day, Remy drove Link to his therapy appointment. He sat in the lobby, idly swiping on his phone as he imagined Link sitting there staring off in the distance as he usually did. More than once his therapist had requested that Remy ask Link to start talking during his appointments, but he hadn’t worked up the courage to do that. It was like asking him to reopen a wound and he was already so raw. He chose to let Link figure out the timing for himself and in the meantime, he simply hoped he would glean something from the one sided conversation he had once a week in the tiny office they found themselves in now. 

When he heard the door creak open, he started packing his things before looking up, expecting to see Link walking out with his eyes down and his hands in his pockets as he always did. But he saw the therapist instead. He was a young man, likely barely thirty years old, who was always dressed in a comfortable, yet professional attire with his slick black hair neatly combed back and his shirt pressed and tailored. He looked like a man who always got enough sleep and who struck up casual conversation at the grocery store with his overly friendly demeanor. Remy understood why Link wouldn’t talk to him. When Link didn’t come out of the door behind him, he raised a brow and put his things back down. 

“Everything alright?” he asked as the door clicked shut. 

The man smiled politely and sat in the chair across from him, leaning forward so that he could fold his hands together and let them dangle in the open space between his legs. 

“Yes, quite. He’s just fallen asleep,” the man said kindly.

“What?” Remy frowned as he tilted his head to the side. 

Link fell asleep randomly at home all the time, but that was where he was comfortable. He disliked going to therapy and would openly admit it if asked. It was odd to him that he'd let his guard down enough to let it happen there. 

“He talked to me today,” the man explained with a flat smile, “I’m not sure what was different about today, but I simply asked about how court went and he gave me a pretty decent picture”

Remy leaned back and flattened his mouth as he crossed his arms. 

“It was a rough day for him”  
  
“Quite. He seems very comfortable with you though. I can’t go into detail about what he discloses, but whatever you’re doing with him, you’re doing a good job at it. He feels safe with you. That’s very easy for me to see.”

Remy’s heart warmed with his own affection when he imagined Link sharing that sentiment. He knew Link loved them, but he’d never heard it in such concise words. 

“And that’s precisely what I wanted to speak with you about,” the young man interrupted his thoughts. 

“Excuse me?” Remy asked, confused, “Is there something wrong?”  
  
“No, no,” the therapist waved a hand to dispel the sudden tension in Remy’s words, “I actually don’t have the right to be speaking with you at all. But I’ve grown quite personally attached to this particular case. I see a lot of kids in the foster care system. It’s rare I see a kid his age with a foster parent quite as…” he waved his hands around at the wrist as he searched for the right words, “supportive as you. I see on his chart that he ages out of the system in a few months and I simply wanted to ask if you had any long term plans for him after he no longer is legally your responsibility? Please don’t feel pressured to answer. This is not part of Link’s plan. I simply felt compelled to ask”

Remy crossed his legs and tapped his fingers on his knee before answering, searching for the right words himself though they came quite easily.

“On his birthday, he’s going to wake up to a car in the driveway and keys on his nightstand. I’d let him pick it out but he would be a nervous wreck the entire time and I wouldn’t torture him like that. My daughter likely has some huge elaborate plan I’ll inevitably go along with because she’s spoiled and gets what's she wants, but what she wants is to spoil him and I’ll have to indulge her because I admit, I’d like to spoil him as well. Goddess knows he deserves it. After that? We will continue life as usual. This isn’t a contract to me. He’s my son. Whatever he needs, he will get.”

As he spoke, the therapist leaned back in his chair with a genuine, yet still professional grin across his face. He let out a deep exhale and nodded a few times as he let his body relax. 

“That’s incredibly relieving to hear. With what little he’s told me today, I knew that his leaving your family would devastate him. He has...a very negative self view and some self destructive tendencies he may or may not be aware of. I can also tell I haven’t quite earned his trust, but I think he and I could make great strides if I were to continue seeing him. The thing is...after he ages out of the system, it will no longer be free for you.”

It was Remy’s turn now to wave away the clear concern on the young man’s face. 

“You know, for a therapist, you aren’t too great of a listener,” he said as he crossed his arms and casually bounced his leg, “I said ‘whatever he needs, he will get’. If he’s talking to you now that means you’ve done something right as well. I’ll keep him here. It’s good for him to talk to someone other than Zelda.”

“Oh Zelda,” the man clicked his tongue. He saw her once every two weeks. He simply encouraged her to continue her own self care while she stood behind Link in his recovery and often gave her tips on how to responsively work him through his particularly rough patches. “Link needs to take a page from her book; that girl can talk” 

“Yes, she can,” Remy grinned, “And you’re trapped with her for an entire hour.”

The therapist laughed as he stood from the chair to return to his office. 

“She’s also very kindhearted and genuine. It’s not uncommon for people in her position to develop a kind of savior complex where they see these broken people as things that need to be fixed for their own gratification, but she’s not like that at all. She loves him very much and it's very easy to see. I’d be curious to see them together.”

It was Remy’s turn to laugh then. He knew what they were like together. It was a precious thing to see, the gentleness of it, and he felt honored to be one of the few witnesses to it. She was helping to fill in all his empty spaces and he was slowly evening her out, they brought out the best in each other and the world seemed a bit more in tune when they were together. 

The sound of the door opening captured both of their attentions as they turned their heads to see a red eyed Link standing awkwardly in the doorway, his mouth flat as he tensed his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets. 

“Um...sorry…” he mumbled as he walked towards Remy. 

“No apologies necessary, I was simply scheduling our next visit. I’ll see you next week, Link,” the therapist nodded at him before turning to shake Remy’s hand, “It was a pleasure speaking with you”

“Likewise,” Remy returned as the man made his way to the door, closing it behind him. 

“Zelda’s home,” Link said quietly as he suppressed a yawn, “She messaged me…” he looked down at his slate, “six times.”

“Only six? She must be tired,” Remy smiled as he led Link down the hallway with a hand on his back.

He was quiet on the ride home, not that it was unusual for him, but he seemed worn down, whether it was from whatever he’d told the therapist or the fact that he was still trying to catch up on several days worth of lost sleep, Remy didn’t know. But he didn’t press it. He simply let the radio play at a low volume as they made the drive home. He half expected him to fall right on the couch when they walked in the inside door from the garage, but instead he fell into Zelda’s waiting arms. 

“Oh, I missed you!” Zelda nearly squealed as she squeezed him tight, “School is not the same without you”

“You went to school without me for a long time,” he said as he squeezed her back, gently rocking back and forth.

“I don’t want to think about that,” she sighed as she relaxed and lay her head on his chest. 

“About what?”

“Not knowing you. Life is much better like this” 

He smiled in her hair and placed a kiss on her head before pulling away and yawning into his hand. 

“Wanna take a nap? I’m exhausted” she asked as he pulled off his shoes and left them by the door. 

He wanted to answer immediately but turned to Remy instead. He still insisted they not share a bed at home, even though they were all aware it happened frequently when he wasn’t home or simply just not looking. But Link never wanted to disobey him, especially when he was standing right there. Although Remy had never done anything to harm him, he still had to fight the phantom feeling of fear when he thought he’d done something worth being punished for. 

“Oh, I guess. Just keep the door open,” he pointed at Zelda, “I will be rolling by to check”

“Rolling by, he says,” Zelda giggled into Link’s ear as they walked upstairs, “Better keep your shirt on”

“I heard that!” Remy yelled at them, shaking his finger in her direction.

“It was the voice in your head again!” she yelled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like a trigger warning is kind of like a spoiler, but I hate not to add it. I figure if you're here you're stable enough to handle the angst, but I just want to safe. You never know. 
> 
> Remy has some violent thoughts, Zelda's grumpy but still a good kid, and Link is a sad, but getting better boy. That's my abstract for this chapter. Also, if you're wondering about timing, this is like the equivalent of January in the school year, so Remy's not being awful for making her go back to school. He's just a good dad and his kids need different things! Don't judge him!


	35. Chapter 35

The week after court, Remy found himself spending more time with Link during the day than he ever had before. It was not at all like being at home with Zelda. The house was unusually quiet without her constant outward stream of thoughts to fill the gaps between the sound of the air conditioner and the clunk of the ice dropping in the freezer, which had been the only other things he'd heard besides his own breathing for what felt like hours. Link made very little noise by himself, another oddity Remy wondered if he’d learned or been born with. During the day, he sat at the kitchen bar with his online work pulled up on the laptop Zelda had bought him and a permanent look of exhaustion and confusion on his face. His best was never enough and he ended up pausing the video multiple times just to allow himself more time to finish. Remy had stopped his own work just to hover. At one point, he checked the timestamp on the video and realized it had taken Link over an hour to watch only fifteen minutes of the math lecture. It pulled at his heartstrings in a new way. Of all the things that had been thrown at Link, it felt like torment to force him into worrying about something that seemed so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But he couldn't let him slack forever or he'd never graduate. It was yet another problem with no clear solution. When Link noticed Remy was in the kitchen with him, he paused his video again, his brows pinching together.

“Is it okay if I take a break?” he asked almost timidly as he looked down at the keys of his laptop, “My um...my head hurts” 

“What? Yeah. You don’t have to ask me,” Remy replied casually, “Do you want any help when you start again? I don’t mind.”

Link shook his head quickly as he retreated into the living room. As much as he needed the help, he didn't want to inconvenience him even more than he already had.

Link's version of a break seemed to be curling up into the cushions of the couch and burying his face in the fabric with his eyes closed. Remy moved to go talk to him, pausing when he heard his slate vibrating. He half expected to see Zelda’s name flash across the screen to check on him for the fifth time that morning, but instead it was a number he didn’t recognize under the caller ID of “Human Services”. He answered and stepped back into his office as Link wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and seemed to doze off. 

“This is Remy Hyrule, how may I help you?” 

“Good morning, Mr. Hyrule. My name is Mrs. Flurris from the Minish Therapeutic Counselling Services. We’ve never been properly introduced. I am Mrs. Faron’s assigned case worker,” the woman on the other end explained. 

Remy breathed out heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration before shutting his office door. 

“Yes, I remember seeing you in court,” he replied shortly, praying the conversation was a simple update, although he didn’t remember asking for one. The last time he’d called had been to ask if Mara wouldn’t mind him storing their belongings from their house at his expense. The conversation had been very short and transactional, with Mara thanking him politely for his kindness and agreeing to let Link have anything he desired from the house even though he hadn’t mentioned it again since their last trip. He didn’t think it would freely open up the line of communication between them, but he now realized he’d been mistaken. 

“I’ve been working with Mara since her release from police custody here at our live-in facility. She’s shown a tremendous amount of growth in her short time here and a remarkable desire to change.”

“How wonderful for her,” his tone was less than enthusiastic as he spun around in his office chair, trying not to imagine the look of hurt on Link's face after she’d pulled away from him just a short few days ago in the courtroom. He knew it wasn’t a single occurrence based on the way Link had reacted and it made the negativity he felt towards his mother fester inside him even more. He knew it was a dangerous line of thinking that he needed to taper off, particularly for Link’s sake. He knew he still loved her and likely always would. But he wasn’t ready for forgiveness yet. 

“That being said, she has qualified to request visitation with her son. I’ve called to arrange this with his social worker, but I wanted to tell you personally so that we might start off this new journey together on the right foot,” she said carefully and a bit too cheerfully in Remy’s opinion. He resisted the urge to throw his slate across the room as he tensed his jaw. 

Link was still so tender, though he was trying to put on a brave face. He made a point to spend more time downstairs and even let Zelda drag him around town when she got home and wanted coffee or to buy snacks at the store. He hadn’t completely isolated himself like he’d done before, but he was still politely short and distant with them at times as if he were simply going through the motions of living. He had been eating very little and only when prompted, his moments of happiness and relaxation far and few between as he mourned the loss of both his parents and struggled to piece together what had happened to him and why.

His therapist had even suggested a higher dosage of his medication one day when he also noticed his gradual decline, which resulted in Link spending an entire day locked in his bedroom. Every pill was a reminder that he was defective; that he was just like his mom. He had taken it as a great loss, deeply upset that he needed more rather than less. He wanted to get better and to him, that meant he was getting worse. Eventually he had wondered downstairs in defeat to take it just as Zelda returned from school. He’d spent the rest of the day snuggled into her side as she did her own homework on the couch. Remy felt it was as if the universe was determined not to allow him protected time to heal.

“I will not approve it,” he replied firmly, leaving no room to question his stance. He heard her mumble to herself over the line as she formulated a response. Clearly, it wasn’t the one she had anticipated. 

“Mr. Hyrule, the goal of the foster care system is always for reunification. This will be a healing experience for both of them as there are some deep rooted issues from the past they still need to resolve. This meeting will not be unsupervised, we will have a trained therapist there and his social worker will also attend. I’m sure she will give you more details once she gets it approved on her end. If these go well, we can start thinking about unsupervised visits. This is a family facility and we do have the resources to house them here together for a short time”

The very thought of asking Link to pack his things and spend a weekend with his mother made the acid in Remy’s stomach begin to push up into the back of his throat. 

“I think you misunderstood me. There will be no visits, unsupervised or not,” he said mostly through his teeth as he tried not to clench his jaw. He was glad the conversation was occurring over the slate and not in person so he could vent his frustration without being seen. 

“Although he is very close to being 18, he is still a minor right now and she does have the parental right to seek visitation with him. Although right now there is no court ordered visitation rights, we could pursue that if Mara choses.”

“He’ll be 18 before it even sees the light of a courtroom,” he argued, “Tell her I said no”

All he heard then was background noise. The soft hum of voices in the far distance, the ringing of a slate in a nearby office. 

“Mr. Hyrule,” he heard her breath out slowly over the slate, “I would strongly ask that you reconsider”

He took no such composing moment to think about his next words. They came flying from his mouth as soon as they came to creation in his brain.

“And I would ask that you quit pretending she didn’t abuse him too. Stop using him as a tool for her so-called healing. Let her battle her own demons on her own time and leave him out of it. When Ms. Leta calls I’ll reject it officially, but you can tell her, once again, that I said _no,_ ” he hung up the slate before leaning back in his chair as far as it could go. He felt the ghost of regret clawing at his heart but he tossed it aside, stretching his shoulders and cracking his neck before composing himself and walking back into the living room to check on Link, if only to make himself feel better and distract his brain from thinking about what he'd just done for too long. 

Link was still on the couch, but he had his slate propped up on his knees, a small video of Zelda in the tech lab at school pulled up on the screen. He walked closer to hear their conversation. 

“And Mipha will _not_ stop asking about where you are and why you keep going virtual. They are convinced that you’re either dead, have cancer, or are going to jail because you killed someone,” he could almost hear her rolling her eyes. He smiled as Link leaned forward to make sure he’d heard her. He was always so attentive to her. Even when she rambled on about the smallest thing, he was always listening. 

“I don’t know what to tell people...that’s awkward,” he replied as he laid his head back down on the cushion. 

“You don’t have to tell them anything. It’s _your_ business. Did you get your math stuff done?” 

“Uh…” he stammered.

“Link!” her voice briefly jumbled on the small slate speakers which struggled to keep up with her volume. 

“I was going to but then you called!” he tried to cover himself as she looked at him accusingly. She had declared herself his personal tutor and was always doing all she could to get him caught up, even though it added more to her own workload. There were many nights that Remy had caught her, still awake, late at night in her bedroom working on her own assignments, having spent her afternoon helping him with his. She never complained, even when she stumbled downstairs the next morning with a matching set of bags under her eyes to match Link’s, who had stayed up for different reasons. Sleep came sparingly in the Hyrule household those days. 

“Liar, liar,” she grinned on the screen as she pointed her pencil at him. 

“I’m not!” he almost laughed.

“Then why are you blushing?” 

His hand instantly went to cover his chest as Zelda burst into laughter on the other end. Link turned around when he heard Remy’s voice and smiled bashfully when he realized he’d heard the entire conversation. 

“Is she giving you a hard time?” Remy asked as he put his hands on his hips, leaning down so Zelda could see him on the screen, “You leave my boy alone,” he waved his finger at her. 

“He’s _my_ boy!” she sassed him with your own finger pointed at him through the screen. 

Remy could see Link smiling softly out of his side view and it was then that the guilt of his earlier conversation crept back up. He should have asked him. He had promised to let him make his own choices, hadn’t he? So why had he immediately jumped and made that one for him? He backed away as Zelda started saying her goodbyes and promising to spend the evening helping him with his work so that he didn’t have to worry so much. 

_That_ was the love he needed, Remy thought. Not the self-centered desire of an ill woman to project her feelings onto him. But who was he to make that decision? He wandered into the kitchen to pour himself a drink, grabbing a bottle of alcohol at the last second, adding a splash before returning to his office. 

“I need another vacation,” he mumbled as he shut the door, putting his slate on do not disturb before he made any more rash decisions. 

* * *

When Link finally returned to school, Zelda was ecstatic. In her mind, things could settle back into their new normal. Their new forever. But Link wasn’t instantaneously healed as she had hoped. He was still trying to find himself and cope with his upbringing. He was like a child in a grown body, his mind still very much the same as that little boy who shivered at the sight of his father’s silhouette; who spent hours crying at his mother’s closed bedroom door when his father was away. Unlike Zelda, there had been no one to help soothe his heartaches or teach him how to handle the turmoil of all the conflicting feelings in his growing body. He’d raised himself in a volatile world and he was still paying for it. He always would. 

While Zelda strode through the world with an innate confidence that was uniquely her own, he stumbled. Although he knew that he now had the freedom that had been stripped from him for many years, he still didn’t know what to do with it. Or if he really truly deserved it at all. There were moments he still felt unsafe when there was no reason for it. He still sat and watched their movements with a meticulous eye, though now he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. Where once he watched for the signs that his father was about to explode or that is mother was about to implode, now there were no such dangers. He knew they wouldn’t harm him. But his heart still clenched in his chest all the same. It was maddening. He hid it from both of them. They had been so kind to him and given up so much to help him and yet he was still the same broken boy he'd always been. 

At night he was still plagued by intrusive thoughts. Thoughts of Remy changing his mind and putting him back in the system or Zelda deciding he was too much trouble and dropping him. He imagined his father walking in his bedroom door, ripping his belt from the loops to finally strike him for destroying their family. He’d written the entire dialogue for the exchange in his mind and could hear it in the tones of his voice as if he were really there in his room. He hated how much he feared it. _You destroyed our family,_ he’d say, _Look what you’ve done._ Because in the end, that’s what his mind wanted him to believe. He knew it was irrational. He tried to talk himself through it, but the thought remained. 

Some nights he’d get up and walk around the house just to clear his mind. He liked to look at the pictures on the walls. There was a noticeable difference in the time gaps between them. In many, a tiny Zelda smiled back at him with meticulously braided hair as she clung to her mother. They looked so much alike. He traced his finger along her face and thought of what she must have been like. He particularly liked one photo where Zelda’s little hands grabbed her cheeks as she leaned into Remy who appeared to be holding the camera out to capture them all together, his other arm tightly around Leora’s waist. They seemed so happy. Then the pictures changed. Zelda was older and Leora was no longer there. Remy’s smile was softer, sadder. 

One night he noticed a new frame he hadn’t seen before. It was propped on the mantle next to a little guardian figurine crawling out of a terracotta pot, the succulent inside wilted, its once plump leaves shriveled as they lay scattered on the smooth surface. Inside the frame was one of his own memories. Zelda was holding his hand as he smiled up at the lanterns in Kakariko, the orange light making his eyes almost look as if there were a flame of his own trapped inside the ridges of his irises. He stared at it a long time. Was that how she saw him? He looked...alive. 

“I was wondering when you’d notice that,” Remy’s voice startled him from the kitchen where he walked out in his robe, a mug of herbal tea in his hands.

Link looked back at the picture beside the one that had him in it. It looked like a birthday party, perhaps Zelda’s first. Her cherub face was smeared in a dainty pink frosting, Remy’s head thrown back in laughter as Leora knelt beside her and simply watched, the look on her face one of pure affection. It made him feel bruised inside. 

“What was she like?” he asked quietly as he continued to study it. 

Remy came up beside him and let out a breath through his nose as he let himself remember. 

“Kind. Compassionate. Very silly when she felt comfortable,” he laughed softly, “She was so shy around others, but at home she was a totally different person. I always felt privileged to be able to see that side of her. She was also an incredible mother. I so wish she could have helped me raise Zelda. She’d probably have conquered the world by now”

Link looked away as he tried not to think of his own mother. How would he describe her? She hadn’t always been so aloof and neglectful. There had been moments where he convinced himself she loved him. When he had described those moments to his therapist, he'd explained to Link what "mania" was and it seemed to define the exasperating back and forth she'd displayed his entire life. He remembered those days the most vividly. She would pick him up and carry him all around the house, dancing as she blared music with the windows open. Or she would recruit him to help her pick out a mountain of sweets at the grocery store and let him pick out a prize to take home for himself. When he had been younger, it had excited him until she ultimately turned on him when she came down from her high or he was punished for whatever mess she'd made by his father. As he'd grown older, they had simply confused him and he did his best to help her remain rational when her mind was buzzing, playing at damage control to lessen the affects it would ultimately have on him when his father returned.

Eventually it occurred to him that she may never have loved him at all and that he had just been a play thing to use when she wanted, shoving him aside when his needs were too inconvenient or clashed with her own. But in the end, she'd been the axis on which his world had spun for most of his life. He clung to the idea of her love like the last source of heat he'd found to keep himself from freezing. While her love was questionable, his was not. He had loved her, much like any child loves their parent, and it made him feel stupid for having been fooled for so long. 

“I miss her,” he cringed at his own words as they left his lips. They tasted like rotten fruit, just sweet enough to convince himself there was something redeeming to them at all, “I don’t know why....but I do.”

Remy’s heart lurched as the guilt clawed at him again. He knew he had it in his power to reunite them and he’d just thrown one such opportunity away only a few days before. He had every resource in the world to allow them a life together, the one he knew Link had probably dreamed of as a little boy.

But instead he found himself feeling only resentful that she still held onto him the way she did. That she was reaching out to him, even with such distance between them, and threatening to pull him back into the darkness with her. He’d developed such a strong protectiveness over Link and the thought of allowing her to manipulate him anymore made him want to shake Link and explain to him how dangerous she was; to explain why he shouldn’t love her. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Because she was still his mother and he never wanted to tell Link how to feel. But he still couldn’t convince himself he needed to see her. So he chose not to reply and gave him a loose squeeze on the shoulder instead. Link sniffed hard and turned to walk back to his room, wiping at his eyes. 

“I guess I’ll try to sleep,” he mumbled as he walked away.

“I’ll have coffee in the morning. We’ll both need it”

He looked on as Link hugged his own arms as he climbed the stairs. He watched him until he disappeared onto the landing before turning to go back to his own night of lost sleep.

In the morning, he found Link curled together with Zelda in her bed, her binders having tumbled haphazardly off the blankets and onto the floor. He lay with her chest to his back, their hands intertwined under his chin as her face nested into the waves of his hair as it splayed across her pillow. He’d gone to her after leaving him and apparently they’d both found enough solace in each other to find a much needed, restful sleep. In a world so ripe with uncertainty and heartache, he always found his peace in her. They looked so exhausted yet so tranquil that he reached for her slate and turned off her alarm, muting the notification sounds altogether so that it wouldn’t wake either of them. He left a message for her to not worry about school and to just spend the day with Link doing whatever they wanted. He downed the last of the coffee before heading out to work, his hand hovering over the call button on Ms. Leta’s name, trying to talk himself into pulling the trigger and calling her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE imagine the Minish Therapists as tiny people because it kills me. I'm back! I'm alive, but I'm dead. You know how it goes. Work rearranged my brain. I wrote half of this earlier in the week when I thought I could still focus enough to write and survive the last week before break, so if it's a little disjointed, just pretend its not! lol
> 
> Remy's been perfect so far so I had to throw in some questionable choices. You could really argue it either way. Link likely did a bit of trauma bonding with his mom, but should he completely cut him off from her or let them try again in a safe environment? What would you do if you were him? It's hard! 
> 
> I’ve also reached a new low and edited this 36 times after posting. HOW do I miss grammar mistakes the first 23 times I read it? It’s like I’m literally blind. 
> 
> #linkisthelittlespoon GOODNIGHT


	36. Chapter 36

Zelda woke the next morning before Link did. It took her a few seconds to get oriented, her brain spinning when she noticed how illuminated her room was. She reached across Link to grab her slate, reading the message from her father before blowing out a long breath and plopping back down beside him. He was still very much asleep, the steady up and down of his chest almost tempting her to close her eyes again too. Gently, she pushed the hair that had fallen onto his face to the side so she could kiss him lightly on the cheek, remembering the night before, relishing the warmth of him through the thin fabric of his shirt.    
  


_ “Can I lay down with you?” he’d asked, standing like a child in their parent’s doorway.  _

_ All she’d done was open her blankets for him and he had crawled inside. She wrapped her arms around him and listened to his breathing as he fought whatever he was fighting. It took him a long time to speak and she let the silence cover them both like a comforting quilt rather than let it suffocate them. He only ever needed time. It was what no one understood about him. But she understood. She knew him. She didn't know why, but she did.  _

_ “I wish I had a normal family,” he’d lamented as she kept a good grip on his hand. _

_ “You have us,” she 'd consoled, her eyes closed as she smelled the lavender in his hair.  _

_ “But what if…” he could barely finish the thought so he didn’t. As she’d said to him once before, he didn’t want to breathe life into them, though it didn’t stop them from invading his consciousness every time he closed his eyes. What if you stop loving me? What if you never loved me at all? Who will I be then? _

_ “Have you ever thought about what life will be like when you’re an adult?” she'd asked, rubbing his hand with her thumb.  _

_ When he didn’t answer, she did.  _

_ “I want a yellow front door. And maybe one or two kids. I think Dad would make a goofy grandpa. Can you imagine? I want to take my kids to see every province in Hyrule. I want to swim in Lake Hylia. I want to pick wild Silent Princess flowers and make a flower crown with them. That sounds nice to me.” _

_ His breathing had slowed, the rhythm of his blinking growing more lethargic as his eyes started to droop. In his mind, he saw her with a blonde little boy in her lap as she arranged the crown on his head. The little boy that looked oddly like that old school photo of him that he still had in his nightstand. When that little boy asked to play with her, she’d probably say yes. She wouldn’t be too sick and he wasn’t asking too loudly. Her yes would be genuine and immediate and full of love. They would probably run the fields as Princess and Knight, swinging their imaginary weapons before falling into giggles, the soft petals of the flowers catching on the ends of their hair. The image pushed everything else in his mind aside, coating him in a warmth he had never felt before. _

_ “And you know what else?” she asked quietly as she sensed him slipping into sleep, her own fatigue following shortly after, “Whatever I end up doing, I know I want you to be there with me.” _

_ He carried it with him into his dreams. The next time he saw them, he was there too.  _

“Zelda?” he asked groggily as he wiped the sleep from his eyes, “Are we late for school?”

She laughed softly at the way he talked with his eyes still closed while he stretched and tried to wake himself up. 

“Apparently Dad has given us the day off,” she said, making no attempt to move off of him as he squirmed beneath her.  
  
“Huh?”

“Look at my slate”

He yawned and swiped his arm around blindly before he found it, squinting at the brightness of her screen as he swiped through her messages. 

“Whatever we want,” he repeated as he read the words on the screen, his arm dropping as he closed his eyes again, “I want to do this”

“Oh, this?” she asked as she crawled more on top of him, causing him to grunt as she put more pressure on his chest. 

“Or...this,” she whispered as she kissed him gently on the lips. She felt him sigh as he returned her kiss, his hand resting on the small of her back. 

He cracked his eyes open when she pulled away to smile at him. 

“Yes, this is nice,” he mumbled as his cheeks reddened. 

“Or what about…” her eyes glinted with mischief as she slowly ran her hands up his sides under his shirt. He sucked in a sharp breath before his entire body jerked when her once gentle hands began to tickle him. 

He forcefully laughed out loud as he writhed under her touch, their bodies wiggling around under the blankets as she continued to assault him with her wriggling fingers. 

“Got you,” she grinned as she fell back down onto him, feeling his heart pounding in her ear. They laid there for so long that she had assumed he’d fallen back asleep until he startled her when she heard his voice as it echoed through his chest. 

“I want to see the Lost Woods,” he said suddenly. It took her a moment to realize he was finally answering the question she’d asked him the night before. She smiled into him as she pictured them going together. The Lost Woods was a reverent place where people from all walks of life gathered to send their thanks to the soul of the hero, whose spirit was said to reside in the sword now lost again in it's labyrinth. Only a few choice descents of the old Sheikah clan ever dared to enter the mists at its entrance, sometimes emerging weeks later but never saying a word about their experiences, having taken a vow of silence. 

“Why there?” she asked as he breathed deeply beneath her. 

“I used to dream about going in when I was little after I saw it on TV once. I was determined I’d find the sword in there. It was like...I felt like it was just a place I needed to go. I don’t know. I know that’s ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous,” she said softly as she felt herself growing drowsy again, “We should go. It’s important to you”

“They’d never let me in”  
  
“What if you’re the next hero?”

He shifted so that he was the one behind her, their bodies fitting together in a perfect curve as they settled deeper into her cushioned bed. 

“Yeah right”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m me”

She turned her head slightly so that he could see her scowling softly at him.

“Link, you don’t have to like, prove your worthiness. You just...are. You know?” 

He didn’t know, but he knew he loved her more in that moment than ever before so he leaned forward to kiss her eyes closed so he could fall back to sleep. 

* * *

They spent the day together doing a number of small things that really added up to doing nothing. They got coffee, browsed a bookstore, Zelda bought herself new earrings in the shape of the triforce, and Link let himself breathe. Things were so much easier with her. Whenever he felt himself slipping, all he had to do was grab her hand and watch the way she would turn and smile at him. He didn’t know if it was the new mix of medications in his system or the way the sun glinted off the shine in her hair, but he started to feel the strain that had once been a permanent fixture in his body start to ease away. It almost scared him to feel it. He’d never known that life could be something that was enjoyed rather than just survived. But she was showing him otherwise. 

They ended up sitting in her car midafternoon as they planned their next stop. It had steadily snowed all day and his breath fogged the inside of her window as he leaned towards it. 

“Can I show you something?” he asked as he drew the outline of small creatures on the cool glass with the tip of his finger, breathing his warmth over them again it when they started to disappear. 

“What is it?!” she agreed excitedly. He never had opinions on anything they did and for the most part she could drag him anywhere. As much as she enjoyed being able to do whatever she wanted, it bothered her that he seemed to have such little confidence, even when simply expressing where he preferred to eat. She loved any moment he took initiative to do something for himself. 

“I’ll show you”

Her excitement began to veer towards apprehension when she recognized the path he was leading her down. She smiled at him nervously as he instructed her to take the last turn onto the dead end street she knew ended at his old house. She pulled into the empty driveway slowly, noticing the auction notices on the door. He looked intently at it for a long moment before clearing his throat and shaking his head in her direction. 

“It’s not...uh, inside,” he clarified, “Do you have a big coat in here?”

She bundled up, tucking her hair into a knitted cap before doing the same to Link. He was terrible at caring for himself and would often go out without a proper coat or accessories. She’d started carrying extra just to ensure he wouldn’t freeze. But he always fussed over her, even offering whatever thin jacket he’d grabbed when he thought hers wasn’t enough. As little as he had to give, he gave it freely to her. It made her want to tackle him to the ground and assault him with kisses, but instead she let him grab her hand and lead her past the driveway into a thicket of trees. 

They walked uphill, with Link pushing aside several branches as they slipped and pulled themselves deeper into the tree line. This portion of the city was underdeveloped unlike the packed neighborhood she lived in only several blocks away. It was likely in the future for every tree there to soon be logged to make room for more houses, but for now it sat untouched, the heavy branches of the snow laden trees leaning down to caress her shoulders as they trudged through the snow. Eventually he stopped and sat gingerly on a fallen log, brushing off some of the snow so she could sit beside him. 

“Where are we?” she asked, noticing the far away look on his face. It meant something to him to be there, she could see it in the way his eyes drooped and he’d gradually stopped talking. 

He pulled her hand in his lap and smiled bashfully, looking around at the scene around them. 

“Nowhere,” he said softly, the new snow clinging to the frill of fur around the hood of his coat, “or...anywhere. Look around. All you can see is trees. You’re even far enough to not hear the highway.”

She looked around briefly, but mostly she looked at him. He was so introspective, often losing hours to his own mind when he thought no one was paying attention to him. He did it everywhere. Home, school, the store. His eyes would seem to glaze and his posture would slacken as he retreated back inside. She wanted so desperately to go there with him; to see what it was that had sustained him when the world around him prompted him to go there. It pained her to imagine the stretches of time where he’d been ignored or locked away, forced to find comfort inside himself. 

She just couldn’t comprehend how someone couldn’t love him when that was all she felt. When he wasn’t near, she yearned for his voice and ached for the feeling of his body next to hers. It was a kind of love she was able to freely give because it was all she’d ever known. But he had only been looked at with disdain, his heart neglected so profoundly it had convinced him that was the way it had to be because that was all he deserved. She had done so much to turn that around since meeting him, but she knew it was still difficult for him to accept it completely. 

She must have stared too long, she realized, when he started to move restlessly beside her. She put a hand on his leg and rested her cheek on his arm as she got comfortable. 

“Did you used to come here a lot?” she asked, knowing it had to be a place of significance for him from before. 

“Sometimes”

She never quite knew when he wanted to say more but chose not to or when he’d said all he was going to say. There was a part of her that hated it because all she ever wanted was to know his heart in its entirety. But she realized he would slowly open all those doors in his own time. So she let him be. 

“I used to play pretend out here when I was little. Then it was just a place to go to be out of their way that wasn’t my room. I felt safe, to some degree I guess. He wouldn't come out here to get me. He’d just...he’d do it when I got home. And I always went home. There was nowhere else to go”

“You have somewhere now,” she said as she squeezed his arm. 

“Yeah,” he breathed, “I do. I just…”

He hesitated over his words, some part of him hoping she’d fill them in for him like she often did. But this time she didn’t. She wanted him to let it go and knew he couldn’t if it didn’t come from within himself. 

“I just...worry that…” he squeezed his eyes closed, “I just think that you could…” he sighed heavily and let his head fall limp on her shoulder. 

“That I could do what?” she encouraged him as she held him there.

“Have anyone else. I mean...I’m not-”

“ _ Anyone else _ ,” she interrupted him, scooting back so he had to lift his head to look at her. She took both of his hands into hers before scooting her own further into his sleeves, tickling the thin skin on his wrist. Her hands were cold against his warm skin, causing him to shiver. 

“I don’t want  _ anyone else.  _ I want you,” she leaned forward to kiss him and they fell backwards, their arms otherwise preoccupied and unable to catch them as they fell. 

He grunted as she landed on top of him, pushing up on her elbows to look down at him. 

“It used to bother me that you question me all the time,” she said softly, her heart squeezing when his face fell, “But it doesn’t anymore, Link. I understand,” she laid her now heated hand on his flushed cheek, “I promise I understand”

He nodded under her touch, swallowing back the emotion at the back of his eyes. 

“And I also promise to remind you again and again each time you ask me why I love you and maybe one day I’ll finally fix that part of your heart they broke in you and you’ll finally believe me”

“I believe you,” he whispered, covering her hand with his own. 

They locked eyes as the snow continued to fall softly around them. He could feel the freezing temperatures pushing harder into his back as he lay on the ground, but the warmth of her kept him there. He’d stay there forever if he had to. But the spell was broken when a wicked grin flashed across her face.

“Good, that makes it easier to do this,” she said slowly, before punctuating the end of her sentence with a clumsily made snowball to his face. 

He spit the snow out of his mouth and wiped his eyes before stuttering, “Hey!” as she giggled, tumbling off him to form another one in her now red hands. 

It took him a moment to get oriented, but when he did Zelda realized her mistake. He was a lot more coordinated than she ever was and quickly fired back at her until they ended up tumbling red faced to her car, cranking the heat so they could warm their frozen hands. 

She watched as his gaze drifted back to his old home again, the smile that had seemed so permanent earlier fading as he watched it retreat into the distance while she pulled out of the driveway. It was then she could see it in him again. That haunted expression that spoke of the memories he still chose to battle alone. She wondered how long it would take him to realize he never had to be alone again. She'd come to realize that he found little trust in words. He'd been lied to by his mother for so long that he had a hard time distinguishing when people were genuine with him. But she was determined to show him. Whether it was holding him as he cried in her bed or running as he pelted her with snowballs, she'd be there. She'd always be there. 

“Hey,” she said quietly as she drove carefully on the snow covered roads. 

At first he didn’t respond, but then he turned his head to her, shivering as another wave of chills washed over him. 

“No ‘Hey Link’?” he asked so genuinely that she couldn’t help the crooked smile that overtook her.

“Hey Link?” she corrected herself as he smiled too.

"Hey Zelda?"

She side eyed him affectionately when she rolled to a stop at a sign, crinkling her eyes at him as he rubbed his hands together. 

“Do you want to help me with my art assignment when we get home?”

“You’re in art?”

“Yes, this semester. And it sucks”

From the look on his face she could tell he almost took it personally. As if she’d just assumed that his interest in art was something to be dreaded as well. 

“I mean for me! I’m not as good as you! I have to draw a self portrait. The first time I tried I looked like a redead”

She heard him chuckle under his breath before answering.

“I’ll help you”

“Perfect”

She watched him out of the side of her vision all the way home, hoping to one day see him without the shadow of sadness that always seemed to hang around his eyes. 

* * *

Remy sat staring at his slate the entire morning, willing it to ring. He hadn’t heard from Ms. Leta as he’d expected. He’d half convinced himself they’d all simply dropped the matter after the way he had acted. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. He also hadn’t heard from Zelda, but he was almost grateful for that. It meant they were still sleeping. At least he had that victory going for him. 

Almost as if on cue, his phone rang right at the moment he had almost stopped thinking about it. The name on the caller ID sent a sensation similar to insects crawling across his skin all over his body. He tried to shake it off and compose himself before answering. 

“Good morning, Mr. Hyrule. It’s been a while since we last spoke. How is Link doing?” Ms. Leta’s voice sounded casual on the other end. It did very little to ease his nerves. 

“He’s up and down. Nothing new. How can I help you?”  
  
“I think perhaps you may already know. I had a rather...interesting conversation with someone from adult services the other day. I have to say I never had you pegged as the hanging up the phone type. You’ve always been so professional,” she started as Remy stood to close his office door.

“Not my proudest moment, I will admit,” he sighed as he fell in his chair. 

“I’m not calling to chastise you, Mr. Hyrule. I know you care for him a great deal and it's coming from a place of concern. But I do need to ask you officially if you would like to move forward with visitation for Mrs. Faron.”

He let the line sit quiet as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

“Mr. Hyrule? Are you still there?” 

“Yes, yes. I’m having a rather...difficult time remaining unbiased in this decision,” he let himself fall back into his corporate mindset, wondering if he saw it through a business lens if it would make more sense. It didn’t. Nothing about it made sense. But it made him feel a bit more in control. 

“I understand. What does Link say about it? Is he willing to see her?”

Remy pulled the phone away so he could audibly groan before answering.

‘He doesn’t know”  
  
“You haven’t told him?” she sounded surprised. 

“No”

“I see,” she said after a short pause, “In the end, it is ultimately your decision as his guardian. But he is old enough for his voice to be considered. Do you need more time to give me an answer?”

He stood up so that he could watch the snow falling from his window and mound on the parked vehicles below him, unable to keep still as his own anxiety coursed through him. He just wanted to do the right thing. But why did it feel like none of the options were right? Why did it feel like, no matter what he did, he would end up hurting Link again and again? Hadn't he been through enough? 

“I’ll see if I can speak with him tonight. He’s just been...fragile since the court hearing. I’ll get back with you when I have an answer,” he said as he put his hand on the window, watching the shape of his fingers fog on the cold glass. 

“I understand. And Mr. Hyrule?” 

“Yes?”

There was another pause between them.

“Do take care of yourself. You’ve been a model foster parent. If I could get half the families I work with to care as deeply as you do about Link, my job would be a lot easier. Cut yourself some slack. There is no manual for this. He’s safe now and he  _ is  _ healing, it's just not always a linear process. He doesn’t need you to be at your best all the time. He just needs you to be there. So breathe, take a break. All of you take a break. Let Zelda teach him what it means to be a child who is loved. She’s a great example for him to follow. You’ve done a remarkable job with her too.”

Once again, he was thankful for the opportunity to not be seen as hot tears fell down his face. For ten years he’d questioned if he’d been enough for Zelda in the absence of her mother. Then Link had come along and the pressure he felt to protect them both was almost crushing. He did his best to put on a show of confidence, but there were nights he felt very much like Link sitting on the back deck with his head in his hands as his world fell apart. He’d built a company from the ground up and managed it all with the flick of his wrist. But being a father was the most difficult job he’d ever done. Failure in that department didn’t mean a loss of revenue or contacts. Failure there meant he’d failed her. And now, failed _him_ in a world where all he’d ever known was failure. To hear that he wasn't failing, that the up and down he'd seen in Link wasn't a result of his own incompetence, did help to mend the feeling of dread he'd been carrying with him for weeks. 

“Thank you,” he choked on his words.

“You’re quite welcome. It is remarkable to see their relationship. I’ve never seen anything like it. Normally children in his position are rather...compromised emotionally. He’s never known what a healthy relationship looks like. The fact that he’s been able to maintain his relationship with her for this long is a testament to his resilience.”

Remy had to smile then as he looked at the photo of them he had on his desk. 

“He’s a good kid,” he replied quietly as he looked at Zelda’s grin and the way Link looked at nothing but her, despite the cacophony of noise he remembered that was around them, “And they are precious together. I know they’re young, but I know my daughter. I think she might have found her other piece.”

“Stranger things have happened,” he could hear the charm in her voice on the other end, no doubt smiling herself, “Have a good day, Mr. Hyrule.”

“You too”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was a teenager and it actually snowed where I lived, I loved to walk into the woods behind the neighborhood right behind mine. I used to do the same thing, just walk until I could see nothing but trees and then pretend I was anywhere. It was peaceful. I haven't seen snow in so long. I miss it. Damn you, global warming. 
> 
> Here is a nice, warming Zelink chapter for you on this holiday break and hopefully some insight into Remy's thought process. He's doing his best, guys!


	37. Chapter 37

Zelda began to notice little things about him. He seemed to always suffer from some type of ache or pain, even though he never complained. She could see it in his back as he stretched it for the fifth time or in the way he always seemed to be rubbing his neck or shoulder. His eyes were usually squinted in an attempt to assuage the permanent headache that sat in his temples and he often asked to lay down in the middle of the day. The years of toxic stress had built a sludge within him that he had to trudge through everyday just to have enough energy to meet his own basic needs. Some days were easier than others. There was no way to predict if he’d wake up bright and ready or sluggish and lethargic. She loved him through it regardless, perhaps toning herself down a little more to match him on the days he felt especially heavy. 

But the most obvious thing she’d noticed was that one of his arms seemed to be slightly crooked. It was more prominent than ever that morning as he stretched them across the kitchen counter, his face resting on the cool marble while she sat beside him and ate breakfast before school. He hadn’t felt well that morning, but true to his nature, he didn’t say a word. She'd snuck a hand to his forehead to test his temperature but he didn't feel warm. He just looked tired. She propped her spoon up on the side of her bowl and traced the outline of it, gently rubbing the place it bent out just below his elbow. 

He shivered under her touch and lifted his head, noticing what she was doing. She didn’t ask directly at first, but she didn’t have to. He knew her inquisitive look by now, laced as it was with concern. He flipped it over to look at it from underneath, exposing the softly scarred skin of his upper arms. He quickly pulled them to his body before the memory could make him nauseous again.

“What happened?" she said gently when he didn't immediately respond. 

He could think of numerous reasons it was like that. His arms had always been an easy target. He could almost feel his father’s vice grip on his wrist as he dragged him down the hall or the sharp edge of the table as he crashed into it. They weren’t complete memories, just fragments, the pain being the most prominent feature. It was sometimes dull, sometimes searing, sometimes just a hint of discomfort . But it was the ache of the aftermath that always proved to be the worst part. His adrenalin in the moment often masked the initial injury until it crept upon him as he lay alone in his room at night, nursing his broken body and heart as his parents closed the door on him, pushing all thoughts of him aside as they usually did when he became too inconvenient. 

He’d had so many nightmares when he was younger about his father hurting him that it was often hard for him to tell which parts of his memories now were real and which were simply imagined. It was the residue pain and the scars that he carried now that helped him to sort it out. He’d never had a real cast, just the old bandages and duct tape his father had wrapped around them when he was too little to do it himself. He’d resorted to rulers or medical tape or simply tight sleeves when he was left to his own devices. It was no wonder that his bones were crooked. 

“I don’t remember,” he answered simply, rubbing at the soreness that seemed ever more present the more he thought about it, “Are you ready for school?”

She knew how badly he was trying to move on from it all and how much he was just suppressing in an effort to appear normal, so she smiled at him and nodded, noticing his full bowl of now soggy cereal that he walked to the sink along with her empty one. She sighed when he turned away and threw her bag over her shoulder. She had to trust that he was doing his best, but it didn’t stop her from feeling powerless to help him. 

The fog around him seemed to clear briefly once they arrived at school. He worked hard at staying focused in each class, even as he gripped his hair and bit his tongue in concentration. It was endearing how much effort he was putting forth in order to catch up with all he'd missed. He had such a desire to move forward, but Zelda was worried he was doing too much and would burn himself out before the end of the year if he kept it up the way he was. So in the classes they shared, she would offer him help or turn to repeat something she knew he'd missed. The shy smile he would give her in return was worth any scolding she received from their teachers for it.

In history class they'd both managed to finish early, so they leaned on one another, sharing whispered secrets and giggles as they doodled back and forth. Link would draw the main shape and then she would come in with little details, adding more and more bizarre touches until he was openly laughing and being shushed by the teacher. It was almost effortless to enjoy her company and he took great advantage in the distraction, biting back his grin as she shaded in a pair of sunglasses on the horse he’d drawn. She muffled her own laughter in his sleeve and he made a quiet promise to himself to remember it forever.. 

Instead of their regular class at the next bell, all seniors had been instructed to gather in the cafeteria for graduation materials to be passed out. Link briefly remembered the forms he’d taken home at the beginning of the year that had lists upon lists of things like invitations, envelopes, or rings. He’d used it for scratch paper. He knew it was a worthless endeavor to show them to either of his parents so he hadn’t even tried. Zelda, on the other hand, was bouncing up and down with excitement. 

“I can’t believe it's so close!” she bubbled as she held his arm. 

He feigned a smile as he stood beside her in line. Each student was handed their order in a crisp plastic bag with the school emblem embossed on the front. 

“Here you are, Ms. Hyrule,” Mr. Agus said cheerfully, handing Zelda hers. 

Unsurprisingly, Zelda had a full bag which she opened immediately, ogling at the various goodies her father had purchased for her. While she was preoccupied, Mr. Agus’ face flattened into a more neutral expression as he simply handed Link an envelope. 

“There’s still time,” he said gently as Link looked at his name printed on the outside, addressed to his “parent or guardian”. He nodded and quickly put it in his pocket when Zelda spun on him to show him something in her hands. 

“I had to retake these like three times,” Zelda said as she showed him her photo which had been imprinted on a rather ornate looking piece of polished wood. 

“You look beautiful,” he replied. He hadn’t known her then. The thought was dizzying so he leaned into her, letting her bump against his arm as they slowly walked together to the parking lot. 

“Oh! I want to see yours!” 

He opened his mouth but no words came out. He just stood there awkwardly, the letter burning a hole in his pocket. 

“Where are they?”

“I didn’t get any,” he looked off the side as he shoved his hands into the pouch of his sweater so he could wring them without her seeing.

Before she could react, Mipha came running up to them and swooped Zelda into a swinging hug, leaving Link awkwardly off to the side. 

“Zee! I feel like I haven’t seen you in  _ ages.  _ My birthday is this weekend, are you coming?” she bounced on the tips of her toes.

“Oh my Gods, it is, isn’t it? Of course! Is it at your house again?”

“Yeah! My parents and I are celebrating tomorrow night since they’ll be off on business. So it should be loads of fun. Paya will be there. Riju and Grante too, I guess. They’re like super annoying and in love now, but I couldn’t not invite them.”

Zelda glanced back at Link who was pretending to be interested in studying the lines in the tile at his feet before turning back to Mipha.

“I’ve never missed your birthday, I’ll be there,” she promised as Mipha looked down at her buzzing slate. 

“That’s the fam, I gotta go. See you then! Bye!”

“Bye!”

She turned back to Link, taking his hand as they walked to her car so they could drive home.

“So I guess we’re going to a party this weekend,” she started when she realized he wasn’t going to comment on their conversation. 

“We?”

“I mean, if you want to go. She won’t care. They have a big indoor pool because she swims. It’s kind of ridiculous.”

He tried to imagine himself there as he climbed in her passenger seat, pushing aside an army of coffee cups and notebooks in the process. There was no part of him that wished to attend a large event with a lot of people he didn’t know. But he also knew that Zelda had been dying to leave the house. She was much more social than he was and had put everything on hold for him for months now. He couldn’t possibly expect her to give any more than she already had and for once, he wanted to do something for her. So he quietly dragged out a long exhale and nodded, agreeing to go in defiance of everything in him telling him to say no. The shine of her grin when she noticed him responding made the bubble of fear in his stomach dull slightly, if only for the moment. 

“I think it’ll be fun. I have grown tired of watching Zoran soap operas,” she laughed as she buckled her seatbelt. 

“But we’ll miss if King Sidon the Ninth ever tells his concubine his true feelings or if he continues his loveless marriage,” he said playfully as he leaned his chair back to stretch his back that ached from leaning forward all day.

She burst into laughter as she pulled out of the parking lot.

“That settles it, we  _ have  _ to go now. You’re too invested,” she giggled.

He tried to let himself feel the same lightheartedness she did, but the familiar dread was back, pulling at his heavy eyes and whispering in his ear that he should quit trying. He ignored it and listened to the soft sound of Zelda’s radio and the whooshing of the air just on the outside of his car door as she drove home.

She wasted no time showing Remy her bag of assorted graduation materials when they finally arrived and he was equally as entertained as he looked at her last school picture affixed to a multitude of different objects, his sentimental heart bleeding a little when he thought on it too long. 

“Why did we order three mugs?” he asked as he pulled the third from the bag with a laugh.

“Guess my two looked like a three, but Link can have one!” 

“Where’s your things, bud?” Remy asked casually as he sat the glossy portrait of Zelda down on the counter to be filed away with all their other mugs, looking up at Link.

“I don’t have anything”

“The school should have at least taken your picture, right?” he tried as Link looked everywhere but at him.

“I was uh...sick that day,” he mumbled. He was supposed to have gotten his senior pictures taken the summer before like everyone else but he wasn’t allowed to leave his house without permission and his mother hadn’t offered to drive him. He also had a large bruise on his face from where he’d fallen into the coffee table in the living room. While most kids his age enjoyed the freedom of summer, he feared it. He no longer had a safe place to spend the majority of his day and his father knew there would be less prying eyes taking note of any visible injuries. So he punished freely and Link counted down the days until he could go back to school. 

He’d been in the hospital when they offered retakes that fall. He would just be a blank square in the yearbook, much like in everyone’s memory, he thought blearily as he felt their eyes on him. 

“I just uh...I did get this,” he said quietly, pulling the crumpled letter out of his pocket and handing it to Remy who took it gingerly.

“Do you want me to read it?” he asked as he opened the flimsy tape holding it shut, pulling out the tri-folded piece of paper, but keeping his eyes on Link to wait for his permission, which came in the form of a head nod.

Zelda stood between where they both sat at the bar and leaned over her father’s shoulder, her curiosity getting the best of her. Her earlier excitement fell as Remy let his hands fall heavy on the counter, the letter still trapped between his fingers. 

“It’s for a failure conference,” he explained gently, “As of right now, you’re not set to graduate.”

Zelda whimpered in empathy, knowing how it would bruise him. He constantly battled feelings of inadequacy, particularly when it came to his perceived intelligence. He was constantly making comments to degrade himself or make it seem like his voice was irrelevant because he truly believed he had nothing of value to say. It was one of his habits that really bothered her, but one she felt helpless to correct when every time she turned around something came along that seemed to confirm it for him. This was simply an exceptionally powerful one and she knew the toll it would take on him. 

“Oh,” was all he said as he tapped his fingers on the counter and reached for the nearest thing in front of him, which happened to be her blank invitations.

“What are these for?” he asked, banking on a distraction so they would hopefully drop the subject.

“You send them to family and friends with a picture to let them know you’re graduating. They usually send back money or something,” Zelda explained as he felt the textured cardstock in his hand while he bit at the inside of his cheek. 

“We could...we could take a picture together and send one to your mom,” Zelda tried, her vision snapping to Remy as his head fell in his hands, flashing a guilty look to her before she turned back to Link who had seemed to miss it all.

“I don’t even know where she is,” he remarked listlessly as he gently laid her stack of envelopes back on the counter. 

“She’s at an adult treatment center near the hospital,” Remy said carefully, “She’s apparently doing very well. I talked to someone there the other day.”

Link stopped his nervous movements as he lifted his head.

“You talked to my mom?”

A pang of guilt flared within Remy as he immediately regretted the timing of it all. He was about to hit him while he was already down. It was a situation he had hoped to avoid.

“No, her caseworker”

“Why?” he’d captured his full attention now. Even with Zelda hovering at his side, his focus was solely on Remy. He had left her there in the courtroom that day and never heard from her again. “Because…” he looked back and forth between Link and his daughter, whose eyes were slowly narrowing as she sensed his discomfort, “Your mother asked to see you again.”

He seemed to ruminate on it a moment without commenting, his brow furrowed and a look of confusion across his face. 

“When?” was all he asked, lifting his eyes to Remy’s again, shattering the last bit of resolve inside Remy as he realized what he’d done. 

“Link, I…” he stuttered, picking up part of the packaging for Zelda’s senior ring to tap it nervously on the counter, “I just didn’t think it was a good idea at the time,” he explained lamely as Zelda began to openly glare at him.

“When did they call?” she questioned him as he squirmed under her gaze. 

“Week or so ago,” he mumbled.

“Dad!”

“So you said no?” Link’s voice was almost lost as Zelda quickly pieced it together. She knew he’d been acting off recently, but hadn’t been able to place a finger on what had happened until he sat there like a guilty toddler avoiding her angry gaze. 

“No! I mean yes! I don’t know!” Remy fumbled as Zelda crossed her arms, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. 

She didn’t particularly like his mother either. In fact, she quite disliked her. But she knew how important she still was to Link. Some nights when his insomnia led him to her bed, he’d explained to her how he had cared for her when her mental state had left her bedridden. He told her of his fears that she wasn’t being cared for now that he wasn’t there. She’d tried to rationalize with him that she was getting treatment from professionals now, but he still harbored guilt that he’d managed to escape into a new family and left her all alone. He admitted to her that he felt like he’d abandoned her completely, even when it was very clear to her that it was his mother who had abandoned  _ him _ . His thought process when it came to his mother was anything but rational, but it was very clear to her that he still loved her in spite of it all. The fact that her father had immediately failed to share information that would have been comforting to him made her feel hot inside. 

“Why didn’t you tell him?” she shot at him as he leaned heavily on the counter and watched for Link’s reaction. 

“I’m telling him now!” he shot right back, slightly raising his voice.

Link’s eyes darted between them as they argued, no longer hearing the words, his mind instead hyperfocused on their actions. Remy’s hands in the air, Zelda’s posture rigid. He’d done this to them. They’d never been this upset with each other before, even when they sent back and forth playful insults to one another. His mind immediately went back to his father. The unbridled anger. The words he’d spewed in those moments that haunted him even still 

_ We were happy before you came along and ruined it all,  _ he’d said to him countless times. He could hear the words in his mind, but this time it was in Remy’s voice inside his head. The room started to tip slightly and he could feel his throat constricting as he tried to breathe himself through it. 

He made himself disappear so that they wouldn’t have to think about him anymore. Neither Zelda or Remy noticed him slip away and climb the stairs, shutting the door to his bedroom behind him. 

“I’m okay,” he talked out loud to himself as he fell in his desk chair, determined not to let his panic win again, “I’m okay. I’m okay.”

He took a deep breath and reminded himself of where he was, willing his heart to slow and the seemingly endless spray of negativity his brain was throwing at him to stop. He was overstimulated and he knew it. He’d learned enough between his therapists visits and the books he’d been reading on his own to recognize that much. If he continued to spiral, he’d end up on the floor again gasping for breath. He didn’t want that. So he repeated it to himself as he pulled out his sketchbook and his slate, turning on the music Zelda often had on in her car. It reminded him of a safer place. Of crumpled plastic beneath his feet. Zelda’s soft singing. Rain pattering on the window.  _ I’m okay. I’m okay. It’ll pass.  _

He breathed and picked up his pencil, making a random line and going from there, taking his mind away from it all. He didn’t think about the letter, his mother, or the raised voices on the floor below him. He just felt the pull of the paper, heard the cadence of the notes. By the time Zelda found him upstairs, he’d drawn a maze of patterns and textures that spanned the entire page. He jostled slightly when she tapped his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes red, “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” he breathed, feeling the constriction that had a grip on him just a few moments earlier start to lessen, “Are you okay?”

She jumped up so that she could sit on his desk, glancing down at the paper he’d been working on. It was so different from anything he’d done before. He liked to draw portraits or likenesses or still lives and he was incredibly talented at doing so. This was more abstract. More controlled, patterned. She filed it away to ask him about later before squeezing the edge of his desk with her hands and giving him a concerned look. 

“I’m fine. That was a lot.”

“Yeah,” he said again, laying his pencil down so he could give her his full attention. 

“He said you could still go if you wanted. That he’d only told her facility no and not who actually approves it. He feels bad about it, but he should. He should have asked you first.”

“It’s okay,” he said quietly.

“It’s not okay, Link! And then that letter,” she clenched her jaw as she momentarily flattened her mouth, searching the air before her for answers, “You  _ will  _ graduate. Dad just has to go talk to the school. They hardly ever refuse to pass people, but they said you’d missed a lot of school and the deadline for grades is coming up and I know someone who gets tutoring and maybe we could go together and-”

“Zelda,” he interrupted her.

She locked eyes with him and felt her shoulders fall when she saw him slightly shaking his head. 

“It’s okay,” he repeated again. 

“I just want to help you!” she cried, “And it’s like every day we spend that’s happy there’s a thousand more that try to just suck the life out of you and I’m so sick of it. It’s not fair!”

“It’s different now,” he said, laying a hand on her knee as she gently wept into her hands. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Life’s always been...hard. For me,” he started, looking on as Zelda wiped her eyes and tilted her head as she regarded him. Her eyes were so full of genuine affection that it made the words come out so much easier. It wasn’t like talking to his mother as she lay with her back to him in her bed or when he’d talked to himself late at night when he knew no one would hear him. With her, his words had a home. 

“So...I’m kind of used to it,” he continued.

“Link-” she tried, but he shook his head and she fell quiet so she could listen to him. 

“It’s different now because the hard parts aren’t the biggest parts. I mean...there’s more to be happy about now than I ever had before. And I know that even when everything kind of feels broken again, it’s really not. Because I have you and I have your Dad and I have...this,” he waved his hand around to make a motion encircling his room.  _ I have a real home,  _ is what he was trying to say. She understood him all the same. 

“I mean, I’m not alone anymore. So...you are helping. Even just being here is helping. Your Dad is helping. I think…” he rubbed the back of his neck as the image of his mother’s face pulled at the back of his eyes, “I do want to see her. But I don’t want to see her. I don’t know. It makes me nervous, but I feel like I have to. I think I need to.”

He stopped talking so that he could put his hands over his eyes and focus on his breathing before it grew out of his control again. He stayed that way until he felt Zelda’s hands on his, slowly moving them aside so that he had to look at her. 

“It doesn’t have to be ‘no’ forever,” she said tenderly, “You can say ‘no’ to going right now. How many times did she make you wait? How many times did she tell you ‘no’? I think it’s her turn to wait on you to get better. That’s what I think.”

Her words soothed the fire that had started raging in him the moment Remy mentioned her. They were the words he wanted to say himself, but hadn’t found the courage to voice. 

“Okay,” he half-smiled at her as he felt her lips on his forehead, “Okay,” he repeated as she pulled away, nodding his head to confirm it to himself. 

“Okay,” she mimicked him with her own tearful smile, “You should probably go tell Dad before he stress eats all the good snacks down there.”

“Are you mad at him?” he asked, remembering the other reason he’d escaped to his room. 

She hopped off his desk and started putting all his things back where he had them before she had scooted them aside.

“We argue all the time, but then five minutes later we’ll go get pizza or something. It never lasts very long. We’ll be fine, don’t worry about us. I was more upset for you, but clearly you’re more in control than I am,” she said as she took his hand, “I was the one making a scene and you stepped away and calmed down. What were you drawing? Did that help?”

He glanced at his paper. It did help. He liked making a big shape and then sectioning it off and adding a variety of patterns. He thought he might go in and add some color later, but for now he enjoyed the controlled madness of it. Much like his life. 

“Yes, it did,” he offered simply as he let her lead him back down the stairs. 

True to her word, they found Remy with a bag of ginger snaps pacing the kitchen floor. He put the bag down when he saw them, shaking the crumbs from his beard as they approached. 

“Link, I’m so sorry,” he said as he took a step forward, “I was just running on pure impulse. I remembered the last time you saw her and the toll it took on you and I just didn’t want to see you like that again. It wasn’t an official decision. I was planning on asking you, I promise.”

The love that emanated off of both of them in that moment was so palpable that he could almost taste it. It made his stomach rumble in a way that reminded him he hadn’t eaten all day. Where once his mouth was dry and his stomach hollow, now he very much wanted a handful of the cookies that sat tumbled to the side where Remy had dropped them. He also wanted the look of uneasiness to come off of Remy’s face.

“Can we ask if I can see her later?” he asked slowly, “Maybe...I don’t know. I think I need to focus on school first. Is that okay?”

Remy blew out all the steam in his body as relief flooded his system. 

“I think that’s a very reasonable decision to make and that she will understand. I’ll call tomorrow,” he said, letting himself relax for the first time in over a week since he took the initial call. The tension of earlier was now spent, replaced with the comforting silence they often found themselves in together.

“I’m hungry,” Link said, breaking the quiet when he felt his stomach rumble. 

Zelda nearly crushed him into the counter as she started excitedly making dinner plans. He decided to use it to his advantage and reached out and grabbed a cookie while they were close, plopping it in his mouth and agreeing to whatever Zelda suggested, which apparently was something she was ordering on her slate. 

“I’m proud of you,” Remy said softly, causing him to quit mid chew, “I just want you to know that, okay? We’ll get you through school, don’t worry about that. And we’ll be there for you whenever you decide what you want to do with your Mom. I also promise I’ll do better with keeping you in the loop from now on. You deserve as much after everything you’ve been through.”

He finished his cookie and reached for a new one, pausing to answer before sending it to its end. 

“I trust you,” he said before his eyes lit up at Zelda and he was pulled towards whatever plan she had next for him that evening, leaving Remy to deal with the overpowering emotions his words had sent flying his way. 

“Goddess help me,” he said out loud, sighing and grabbing the rest of the cookies before retreating to his office, “He trusts me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve! I have blessed you with this strange chapter I forgot I wrote two days ago. It was one of those, "Did I really write that or was it a daydream?" kind of moments. 
> 
> Chronic pain is unfortunately a symptom of prolonged physical abuse, so that's why he seems sickly all the time. But our boy is slowly starting to manage his own emotions, so that's a plus! And we have some teen drama unfolding! Hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas or whatever holiday your family celebrates! (: So many exclamation marks! Can you tell I'm a teacher? !!!


	38. Chapter 38

The rest of the week went by slowly and rather uneventfully. Remy signed Link up for tutoring, which had him staying late at school every other day. He’d had to switch Zelda’s work schedule to coincide with when he needed to be picked up since he was insistent on not learning how to drive yet. She would often pull into the garage in the evenings with him slumped over in his seat and more than once she’d simply tipped his seat back and covered him up to avoid waking him. She had to stifle her giggles when he stumbled inside later with the impression of his seatbelt pressed into his face as he winced and scratched his hand through his hair with a mumbled apology. 

On the day of the party, she felt her own anxieties start to bubble up. While she’d known Mipha for most of their school years, this party sounded a lot bigger than her previous ones. She was never usually one to shy away from a crowd, but it’d been weeks since she’d really seen everyone outside of a school setting and she found herself wondering how she was supposed to dress. Mipha and Riju always outdressed her, but at school she never minded. She loved to throw a chunky sweater over her leggings and call it day while they went for more elaborate and thought out ensembles. She stood before her closet and grumbled for the thousandth time before Link looked up from his drawing as he lay on his stomach on her bed. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, dropping the cap of his pen from his mouth to give her his attention. 

“I don’t know what to wear,” she sighed, picking up one of her novelty t-shirts and shoving it aside, “Everyone else is probably going to end up swimming at some point so I guess it doesn’t really matter. I’m just overthinking it as usual.”  
  
“Are we going to swim?”

She smiled to herself as she stood with her back turned to him. He was always lumping them together when he spoke as if they were one unit. It was a quirk of his she found quite charming. 

“You can if you want to, but I don’t actually know how to swim. They always end up teasing me for it and I don’t know who all else will be there so I’d rather not get in at all.”

He didn’t answer immediately. He flipped on his back and folded his hands on his stomach, closing his eyes as they gently lifted up and down with each breath while he appeared to search his thoughts. 

“But you said you wanted to swim in Lake Hylia?” 

“You remember everything!” she grinned as she turned around and flopped down beside him, forcing him to roll on his side as her weight settled on the mattress. He cracked a tired eye to grin at her before wrapping his arm around her waist. 

“I would like to actually swim there one day, but I’ll have to settle for wading in the shallows I guess. Dad never took me when I was little because he sinks straight to the bottom. He hates anything he isn’t immediately good at so we never went and I never learned. Can you swim?”

Link laughed lightly at the thought before getting comfortable behind her, their bodies curving around one another as she snuggled backwards into him. 

“Yeah. My mom loves the water. Sometimes in the summer when I was little she’d take me to that swimming pool that’s not far from here and we would stay until Dad got off work. I used to get so sunburned.”

She closed her eyes too and she imagined him smaller, bobbing up and down in water, his cheeks red and his lips chapped. 

“Is it a good memory?” she asked quietly. She never knew which version of his mom he was speaking about when he revealed a new memory to her. Was it the one who lay in bed all day? O r the one in a manic frenzy? Or the one like she'd met, with her illness just below the surface? The more he spoke about her, the more she understood the contradiction she was for him. One minute she would shower him with affection and in the next breath he’d be locked behind his door again. It made her want to run back in time to swoop him up and save him from the confusion that grew inside his heart as a result. 

“Um, I don’t know. I don’t really remember her being there with me really. I just kind of played by myself while she did her own thing. She didn’t teach me how to swim, I just got bored of the shallow end and ventured out further each time. I’m sure I almost drowned plenty of times.” 

Her internal vision of little Link shifted into something much more melancholy and the twitching in her stomach increased by two fold. It was still baffling to her how someone would not want to be around him when that’s the only place she ever wanted to be now. She could no longer fathom life without him and caught herself planning her everyday around him as well, not wanting to lose a single moment. She rolled over when she felt him getting a little too comfortable and pressed her cold hands to his cheeks, forcing him to flutter his eyes open. 

“Is that why you have freckles here on your cheeks?” she smiled softly at him as she rubbed his lightly freckled skin with her thumbs. 

“I don’t know,” he almost whispered. She loved that he fell apart whenever she touched him. It was like he never expected it even though she was constantly either holding his hand or touching him somewhere. She was determined to make up for all the times he’d been denied love by showering him with it now and he ate it hungrily, always reaching out for more. 

“Will you go shopping with me? The party is like in six hours. We have time. I just want to look nice,” she changed the subject when she sensed him drifting away. 

“You always look nice,” he said softly, his eyes half-lidded as he tried not to fall asleep. 

“No I don’t. I dress comfortably. Not everyone understands my affinity for comfort clothes like you do. I need to get you another pair of these before you wear them out,” she said as she rubbed the soft fabric of the joggers he always changed into after school or on the weekends. 

He squirmed as her hand graced his upper thigh, shifting so that he lay on his stomach instead. He peeked his eyes out from the crook of his arm, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks as he lowered his brows at her. But she could read him like a book by now and could tell she had flustered him. And in a good way. More than once they’d found themselves pressed together only to tumble apart when it got too heated. Although she knew many of her friends had already passed that milestone with their partners, neither of them were prepared to cross that line yet. Particularly Link. His emotional stability was fragile on good days and she had to remind herself of that when he got a little lost in the moment and it fell to her to slow him down. That didn’t stop her from teasing him though. Her maturity only went so far. 

“So you don’t want a new pair? Maybe some gray ones?” she continued innocently as if nothing happened. 

He grumbled and turned over so that his back was to her, but she simply propped her chin on his shoulder to avoid him escaping her that easily.

“There’s that place with the cinnamon rolls you like in the mall,” she said sweetly, her head bouncing lightly up and down as she spoke.

“Are you bribing me with food?”

“Is it working?”

She had to stop herself from falling forward into the empty space he left when he rolled back over to face her.

“You don’t have to bribe me, I’ll go.”

She kissed him briefly before rolling off the bed and into a pair of shoes. Link followed after her, a yawn on his face and his hands in his pockets. Part of her wished she could be half as appealing as he was so effortlessly, even with creases in his shirt and his hair a mess. The worst part was that he had no idea anyone viewed him in that light. He never assumed anyone would want to look at him or that someone might be interested in him at all. To him, he was unworthy of any attention. She wished he could see himself how she saw him. 

While she was confident in her own personality and certainly carried herself that way, it did wonders to hide the insecurities she did her best to mask with sarcasm and humor. Being best friends with a chiseled swim captain for many years had made her question her own body more than once and she’d taken to wearing oversized clothing just to make herself feel more comfortable. It was easy to spin it as simply her style, but she would be lying if she didn’t admit she wished she looked half as beautiful as Mipha or Riju did in their fitted and styled clothes. She had been unsurprised to hear Grante finally ended up with Riju even though she’d been too preoccupied at the time with Link in the hospital to really talk with her about it. Being part Gerudu with her thick, dark hair and bronzed skin, she’d caught the eye of many at school. But she’d been chasing Grante for a long time, even as he cycled through other girls when he eventually tired of them. She wasn’t particularly fond of him, but if he made Riju happy she would support it. 

She made herself relax as she watched Link walk through the mall, his eyes roaming over every bright sign, his hands reaching out to touch anything that interested him. He liked soft fabrics, often lingering on one as he looked at something else, his finger slowly tracing lines over the smooth textures. Just looking at him eased her anxious thoughts. He had never made any indication that he cared if her nails were chipped or her hair was tangled. He had no problem being close to her and was constantly wanting to be closer, regardless of what she looked like. He was always just a breath away from her, turning to her with a glint in his eyes and a gentle upturn of his lips whenever she said his name. She’d never met anyone that felt more like home than he did; or made her more comfortable in her own skin. She hadn't worried about the eyes of others in a long time and the feeling sat like old bread in her stomach, swelling and making her slightly nauseous the more she thought about it. 

“Is this the store you like?” he asked as he pointed straight ahead, breaking her from her thoughts. 

She sighed and walked in, ready for the mental torment that was finding something to wear that wasn’t a t-shirt or leggings. She could spend hours searching for unique t-shirts or shoes, but looking for something particular hurt her brain and her feelings, especially when it was for an event and she had already judged herself before even arriving. He was patient with her as she tried on a multitude of outfits, all of which made her feel less like herself and more like a bundle of nerves and insecurities. 

“Is it uncomfortable?” he asked when she walked out in the latest of her picks, scrutinizing it from every angle before cringing and sitting down beside him on the chair he was waiting for her in. 

“I’m uncomfortable,” she finally admitted, leaning her head on his shoulder, the tag of the dress tickling the back of her neck.

“Why?” 

“Because everyone is going to look like a section out of a magazine and I’m going to look like...me. You’d think as much money as my Dad has, I'd be better at shopping for myself,” she scoffed, squeezing her eyes to hold back the threat of tears. 

“You dress me all the time,” he countered, remembering how much joy she seemed to have picking out clothes for him just a few weeks ago when they went to Kakariko. She’d been all smiles then. Now she seemed sullen and disappointed in herself. It didn’t look right on her.

“Yes, because you’re perfect. I’m not. Nothing looks right on me,” she sighed. 

He shifted his body so that he could look at her directly. She’d never voiced any contempt about herself to him before and in that moment he understood why she would get so defensive when he did it to her about himself. It felt ugly and wrong but he had no idea what to say to remedy it. She always responded to him so carefully, almost as if she’d formulated her responses at an earlier time and stored them away until she could use them at the right time. He was not quite so prepared, his brain as empty as his mouth as he struggled with how to comfort her. Giving up on words, he decided to pull her into him and hold her tightly.

He folded into the curve of her neck, his warm breath breezing over her skin and making her feel tingly. He held her like a child might hold their favorite toy at bedtime, cradling her in his arms to shield her from the world, even if her current upset came from within herself. She exhaled and ran her hand softly up his back until she threaded her fingers in the waves at the base of his neck. 

She tipped her head and softened her eyes as they pulled apart and she noticed how intently he was searching her face, praying he’d done something to alleviate her feelings of discomfort. It was then she realized how frivolous it all was. No matter what she wore, they were still going home together. In the end, his opinion was the only one that really mattered to her. 

“Which was your favorite?” 

He seemed thoughtful as he mulled it over, like he was searching through a catalogue in his mind. 

“I liked that soft green dress,” he finally said. 

She had to spend a moment remembering which one he was talking about until it hit her. It was one of the very first outfits she’d tried on over an hour ago. He really had been paying attention. 

“It matches your eyes.”

A rush of heat flooded her cheeks as she sucked the inside of one between her teeth to keep from grinning too stupidly. 

“Green it is then,” she smiled at him as he visibly deflated in relief.

She leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. He tasted like cinnamon. She had to fight herself not to chase it.

* * *

When they arrived at Mipha’s home there were cars lining the street. She could practically feel Link’s nervous energy as he lightly shook the whole car with the bouncing of his leg. He’d been almost silent since leaving the mall. They’d gone home so she could finish getting dressed and he’d spent the entire time laying on her bed squeezing a stress ball he’d gotten at therapy in one of his hands as he watched her. He’d let her put all sorts of products in his hair to make it lay in a certain way that she seemed to enjoy before asking him if he wanted her to pick out his outfit too. He did. She’d found a green sweater that matched her dress and the brief moment of pure joy it brought her gave him the last push of energy he needed to walk downstairs and get in the car. 

“Hey, you’ll be fine. I won’t leave you, I promise,” she said, turning off the ignition. 

He just nodded and feigned a smile in her direction. 

It was Riju who opened the door for them, releasing a cacophony of noise from behind her. There were dozens of people there and only a few they recognized from school. Even fewer for Link. He had grown used to her close circle of friends by now, but he couldn’t really say he knew any of them really well. He mostly just listened as they talked. He felt his heart rate slowly increase as he looked over her shoulder. He was already so lost.

“Hey girl!” Riju almost squealed, giving Zelda a side hug to keep from spilling the drink in her other hand. 

When Zelda pulled away she made a face, having clearly smelled the alcohol that was in her plastic cup. 

“What are you drinking?” she wasted no time as Riju’s smile grew more devious when she noticed Zelda staring. 

“Grante’s brother works at the liquor store down the street. He hooked us up. Want one?” she leaned in and Zelda noticed the flush on her cheeks. 

“I’m good right now, thanks. Where’s Mipha?” Zelda asked. 

“We’re playing a game in the living room! You should join!” 

Riju grabbed her by the hand and pulled her inside. Link had to rush to keep up with her as they pushed through a small gathering of people in the entryway. He felt like he was on another planet. All his senses were firing in different directions. There were dozens of voices intermixing with the deep pulse of music in the background. He could smell food on top of perfume on top of alcohol. It smelled like the cheap beer his dad used to drink. It made him feel dizzy. 

“Zelda!” she heard Mipha almost cheer as they entered the doorway, “Hey, we have some extra controllers you guys should join!”  
  
He sat beside her awkwardly on the overly plush couch, looking down at the small controller someone put in his hands. It was some attachment to the slate he’d never seen before. They had some type of game up on the television where you controlled little characters in carts as they raced around a track. He’d never played a video game before though he’d always wanted to. He’d only ever seen them on TV. 

“Hold it like this,” he heard Zelda’s voice in his ear as she rearranged it in his hands so that his fingers were over the right buttons. 

“Sorry,” he blushed when he noticed everyone was looking at him.

Zelda lifted her body up so she could sit cross legged on the couch, leaning forward with her tongue out as she controlled her character on the screen. 

He had no idea what he was doing. He didn’t even know which character was his. The screen was a blur of motion and colors and he briefly wished he’d brought his glasses so he could see it easier. He just blindly pushed some buttons and hoped it was doing something that didn’t draw attention to him.

“Who the fuck is that loser just spinning in circles on the track?” he heard a stranger’s voice off to their left, “Hey! What’s his name again?” he looked over and recognized Grante pointing at him. He had his arms wrapped around Riju as she sat on his lap. She leaned back and giggled something in his ear and he looked over to where they were sitting “Hey Link, what the fuck?” 

“Sorry,” Link mumbled, looking down at his controller as if it would help him. 

Zelda leaned into him and tried to explain what the buttons did, but it didn’t help him to see any clearer. Mipha’s television was huge, but it was split in so many screens he had trouble making sense of who was where and what he was supposed to be doing. Eventually someone walked up and took it from his hands to play for him. He didn’t put up a fight and held his hands in his lap once they were empty, partially glad he could just be forgotten again. 

It seemed to bother Zelda a lot more than it did him and she ended up giving her controller away too, giving him an apologetic look he simply shrugged off. 

“Ugh, this is boring. Mipha, do you think the pool is heated yet?” Riju yelled over the music. 

“It’s been over an hour so it should be!” Mipha responded cheerfully. She had a soda in her hands and jumped up from where she’d been sitting beside Zelda to lead everyone into the room down the hall. Unlike Zelda’s comfy house, her’s was massive and filled mostly with empty space or manicured furniture arranged more for show than comfort. He missed the mismatched furniture of Zelda’s living room and the photos on the walls instead of the odd art that reminded him of something his therapist might have hanging in his office. It smelled clean, but not a homey clean. It was more of a sterile clean, like a waiting room or a hotel lobby. It made him feel itchy. 

He could smell the chlorine as soon as they crossed from the short, ornately patterned carpet onto a slick tile. The sounds from earlier were magnified and echoed across the pool room which was insulated with slanted glass walls. He thought it was like being inside an aquarium. Grante and Riju were the first to jump in, striping down to the swim suits they had on under their clothes. Paya had decided to finish up the video game from earlier and promised to join later. 

“I have to go change, I’ll be back in a minute!” Mipha called as other guests started to slip in the water. 

“Hey girl, you wanna borrow one of my suits and hang out in the shallow end? I promise I won’t dunk you,” Mipha asked with a grin when she noticed them hanging out near the entrance. 

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just...put my feet in or something,” Zelda replied as a loud shriek was heard from the pool. Riju was up on Grante’s shoulders playing a game of chicken with another couple. 

“She’s…” Zelda’s voice off, watching as Grante’s hands held onto her thighs and slid closer and closer to her bikini bottoms as she slid forward on his shoulders without making any movement to indicate she noticed what he was doing. 

“A little tipsy? Yeah, I noticed. I’m not drinking though. Someone has to be her babysitter and it's certainly not Grante. He’s just as bad. Will you keep an eye on her until I get back? Last thing I need is anyone drowning at my party,” Mipha rolled her eyes playfully.

“Sure,” Zelda agreed.

When Mipha walked away she walked to the edge of the pool and Link sat timidly beside her. They took off their shoes and let the slightly warmed water lap at their skin as the people sloshed around inside, occasionally making a large enough wave to dampen the edge of their clothes that hung close to the water. 

“You okay?” she asked over the sound of the splashing water and the echoes of voices as they bounced off the walls. 

“Mhm,” he replied shortly. 

She could tell he was on edge but doing his best to keep it together for her. She knew he would have much rather laid in bed and doodled or read a book and catnapped all day than be there. But here he was, his eyes scanning the room back and forth like a dog watching traffic from a window, alert for any danger. She wished she knew how to ease that part of him, but she settled for leaning into his side again just to remind him she was there. 

“Zelda! Come in!” Riju yelled from the middle of the pool. 

“And drown? No thank you!” Zelda yelled back.

Riju and Grante momentarily connected together before they pulled apart in a fit of giggles. 

“Grante, _doooon’t_ ” she heard Riju drag out her words as she clutched onto an inflatable ring in the pool. 

“I’m just getting another drink, keep the water warm for me, darling!” he winked at her as he waded to the edge and pulled himself up. 

“Remember when we used to play mermaids?!” Riju’s elevated voice danced across the water as she spun around, letting her wet hair fan out behind her. 

“That was you and Mipha!” Zelda called back, laughing at the sight of her spinning around like a child as she clutched her pool toy, “Remember I-”

Her voice was cut off as she flew forward with a screech and landed hard in the water with Grante’s body on top of her, his weight pushing her to the bottom. He surfaced with a grin on his face, slicking his hair back as he turned triumphantly to Riju. 

“Grante!” she whined, “I told you not to! She can’t swim!” 

Link watched frozen in horror as Zelda tried to surface, the heavy fabric of her dress weighing her down. Her arms were churning the water around her as the other guests started to laugh. No one made a move to help her, even when she’d been under for far longer than was appropriate. 

“Who the fuck can’t swim?” Grante slurred as he clumsily swam towards Riju, leaving Zelda to sink further down. 

Link felt his heart stop in his chest and everything started moving very fast around him. Voices. Music. Water. Cold. Hot. Wet. Dry. Zelda.  _ Zelda.  _ He sucked in a sharp breath before standing and diving into the frothy water just above where she was still thrashing under the surface. He connected with some part of her and pulled hard, bringing them both to the surface. She gasped as soon as her face hit the air and began coughing hard as she continued to panic, clawing at him in the water. Her movements made them both sink back under a few times until he managed to push them to the shallow end where he planted his feet on the bottom and held her tightly.

“It’s okay,” he said breathlessly as she clung to him, “I got you. You’re okay.”

He repeated himself over and over, feeling her heart hammer into his chest through their soaked clothes. Her nails dug into his skin and his own heart battled right along with her, the combination of them creating an erratic rhythm that had them both feeling bruised. 

She coughed up more water over his shoulder before pulling back and looking at him, her makeup staining and melting down her face like an oil painting in a house fire. 

“You’re safe now,” was all he managed to say as her eyes cut into the very middle of him. He couldn't make sense of her as she focused only on him, ignoring the sounds all around her. Was she angry with him? Or at Grante? Had he done something wrong? He’d spent the whole night over analyzing everything that he began to short circuit as they floated there. 

“What the hell?!” he heard Mipha’s voice call over the water, “What happened?”

“I told him not to!” Riju giggled over the splashing, “He never listens! He's naughty!”

“Get your drunk ass out of my pool before you drown,” Mipha growled, turning her attention to Link and Zelda. Zelda pressed her face into his shoulder and refused to acknowledge anyone else. 

“Is she okay?” Mipha asked him.

“I don't know,” he said so quietly she couldn't hear him as he walked her to the steps and helped her out of the water. 

“He’s such an asshole,” Mipha grumbled under her breath as she wrapped a towel around Zelda, “You guys can come upstairs and borrow some dry clothes. I’ll have Paya watch these two,” she tilted her head at Riju and Grante as they continued to play as if nothing happened.

Zelda nodded weakly and let Link lead her this time as he followed Mipha out of the pool room. She scrambled around a bit once they'd climbed the stairs, leaving them to drip into the carpet before shoving them in a room with a handful of clothes she said were from her brother’s room and running back downstairs to help Paya with Riju. 

It took Link a minute to notice the predicament they were in. It was a small guest bedroom with no connected bathroom, leaving them to change in front of each other. 

“I can...do you want me to leave?” he asked timidly after noticing her failure to initiate doing anything but stare at the wall she was facing. 

“I’m so embarrassed,” her voice quivered as she stood with her back towards him, “That was humiliating” 

“H-hey,” he stuttered, “It’s okay. It's...uh…”

She started crying in earnest, her shoulders shaking as she watered her cheeks which were smeared with mascara and the remnant of her glittery eye shadow. 

He walked up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She turned in his arms and hugged him properly, burying her face into the wet fabric of his sweater. 

“Remember when...I had a panic attack in the courtroom?” 

She nodded into him, curling her arms into herself as the chilled air of the air conditioning started to make her shiver. 

“I was embarrassed too.”

When she closed her eyes she could see him there on the floor with his eyes trimmed in red, his hands trembling at his sides as he fought for breath. It had never occurred to her that he might have also been affected by everyone looking at him. He’d never mentioned it before and she’d been too focused on worrying if he could take a solid breath or not to notice. Thinking back on that day, feeling him right beside her, the rapid beat of his heart as it was right then in that moment, she felt herself become more grounded. She stuttered through the last of her cries as she began to calm. 

“You’re cold,” he said tenderly as he put his hand on the back of her head, “You should change.”

She let go of him and wiped her eyes so she could look at him. He was pale, his hair dark as the pool water tinted it a soft brown instead of his usual wheat colored tone. His bottom lip was trembling too from the cold and he rubbed at his arms in an attempt to warm himself. 

“You’re going to get sick,” she started to fret over him, shifting through the pile of clothes on the bed and finding a pair of old sweats with the emblem of their high school printed on the chest. She pressed them into his hands before grabbing the rest of pile and beginning to get undressed. His eyes widened almost comically when he noticed her changing right in front of him and he nearly tripped over his own feet as he turned around to give her some privacy, leaving her to shiver as she tried to squeeze into one of Mipha’s extra shirts. 

He changed lightning fast and waited on some type of signal that it was safe to turn around as he gave her time to do the same. When he heard her quietly crying again, he snuck a sideways glance to see her holding her middle as she sat perched on the edge of the mattress. 

“Are you okay?” 

She looked up puffy-eyed and shook her head. 

“I just can’t win today,” she cried gently, wiping at her eyes with the back of one of her hands, keeping her other arm tight around her midsection, “I can’t walk out like this.”

He noticed her stiff body language and pieced it together. She was uncomfortable.

“Mipha is built like a fucking water goddess or something. I can’t wear this,” she said bitterly as she shook her head and let the rest of her tears drop down to add to the wetness they’d already trailed in the room. 

“You can wear my shirt,” he offered. 

She looked up briefly and eyed the gray sweatshirt he had on before looking back at the floor. 

“No, you’ll get too cold. We have to walk back to the car.”

He took it off and handed it to her anyway. She sighed and slipped it over her head, shimmying out of the smaller shirt and pulling it through the neckline before discarding it on the bed.  A knocking at the door startled them both and they turned to see Paya and Mipha rushing in, both wrapping Zelda in a tight hug and a thousand apologies as Link scooted back awkwardly to make room for them. 

“I’m so sorry, Zelda! I never should have let them bring the alcohol in, but Riju was just trying to make it fun. She’s so blind to everything he does because she’s too proud of the fact she finally pulled him. He’s nothing but a huge asshole and she can’t see it,” Mipha said as she rubbed Zelda’s back. 

“She’s going to be mortified in the morning if that makes you feel better,” Paya added, giving her a consoling smile. 

“Thanks, guys,” Zelda said almost sheepishly.

Paya turned to Link and motioned him over with a wave of her hand. 

“Oh, quit being shy, come join us,” she said as he narrowed his eyes and looked at Zelda who could only smile softly at him. 

“You’ve got a good one, though,” Mipha said as they included him in their hug, “Don’t let this one go.”

“Never,” Zelda whispered into his ear as she held him tightly. 

Eventually they made it to the door and after repeatedly turning down a ride home, they made it back to the car and slung their wet clothes into her truck to mildew with the rest of her forgotten things she'd shoved back there. She sat with her keys in the ignition, thankful she’d stashed her bag in the living room before being dunked in the pool. She closed her eyes and gripped the steering wheel tightly before eventually beginning to laugh. 

“What are you laughing at?” Link asked, his brain so rattled from the entire evening that he was having a hard time even remembering where they were. 

“Look at us,” she laughed, holding up her now much larger sleeves, flapping them around like bird wings, “You’re shirtless. I’m wearing this. Neither of us have shoes. We are soaking wet. What the _ hell  _ are we going to tell Dad?”

“The truth?” he asked genuinely, shrugging as he shook his head. 

She started laughing louder, a few residual tears sneaking through as she squinted her eyes, “Why are you so good?”

“I’m not?”

She turned her head to him and wiped away the last of her sniffles before blasting the heat.

“Thank you for saving me,” she said before putting the car in reverse.

“I didn’t save you,” he replied quietly before coughing into his elbow, the cold air and his drop in body temperature battling with his still under functioning lung. 

“You did,” her previous smile melted slowly as he shivered beside her and she realized the position she'd put him in. 

“Well,” he coughed before turning to her, “Guess we’re even then.”

Her eyes threatened to water again as she started to drive. 

“Yeah,” she rasped out, “I guess so.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLOT TWIST: It's Zelda who had a bad time! This chapter is like WAY longer than usual but there was no natural place to break it up. So happy holidays! I did my best with the teen drama. Please be gentle. I wasn't even really a teen when I was one and I definitely relate more to wanting to doodle and nap than party. I've been social distancing since birth. I did my best. I did, however, and still do, struggle with wanting to dress nicer but also feeling uncomfortable with my body in clothes. I think we all relate on some level there and Zelda needed some more humanizing. 
> 
> Also I'm sorry for torturing Link with not knowing how to play Mario Kart, but just imagining him squinting as he tries to figure out which way he's going was kind of funny to me. Do you think he played as himself? I always pick Link when I play lol 
> 
> It's 3am y'all. Winter break is being weird to me.


	39. Chapter 39

The next day, Zelda woke to a group text from Mipha, Paya, and Riju begging her to go out to eat lunch with them to make up for the night before. 

_Zelda if you don’t let me apologize in person I will literally combust,_ Riju sent, followed by several images of her pouting as she nursed her hangover from the night before, _I will let you throw me into the ocean. I will buy you a frittata. What do I need to do?!_

She smiled at Riju’s theatrics, relieved that she seemed more aware of herself than she did the night before. She hadn’t recognized her friend as she giggled, red faced, into Grante’s shoulder while she had cried into Link’s. She’d spent a good portion of the night replaying it over and over in her head, cringing at the countless eyes of everyone else as they watched her fall apart. It was Link's arms around her that had finally soothed her into some semblance of sleep once they settled into his bed. She suspected her presence had done something similar for him, though neither of them voiced it. She hadn’t even bothered to slip out and go to her own room before her Dad came home. She’d heard him sigh in the doorway sometime later before going back downstairs without saying a word. She was honestly surprised at how little he fought it anymore. 

She sat up in bed beside Link who was still soundly sleeping. She’d forced his hand into giving up his Saturday and was now determined not to interrupt his Sunday so she’d been extra quiet all morning as she lay beside him mindlessly scrolling through her slate. He’d had a restless sleep through most of the night, occasionally waking her as he jerked and briefly squeezed her a bit too tightly than what was comfortable while he appeared to dream, but he fell hard once the sun rose and had been mostly motionless since . He always seemed to sleep better during the day. He was currently snoring lightly, a light spot of drool pooling under him as he curled around the pillow he ended up holding when they’d eventually tumbled apart. She had been tempted to take a picture of him just to remember the serenity he seemed to now have on his face, but realized it was a scene she’d likely wake up to many mornings in the future and the thought made her so comfortable inside that she switched back to her messages instead. 

_Is Grante going to be there?_ She sent, rubbing her legs together under the silky sheets, stretching her toes to start enough of a blood flow to wake herself up. 

Both Paya and Mipha sent suspicious looking smiley faces back as Riju typed, the little ellipses by her name bouncing up and down as she likely typed and retyped her response. 

_No. This is girls only today I promise,_ she managed to send. 

She glanced down at Link and worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought about it. Her immediate response was to say she couldn’t go. But why couldn’t she? Link would probably sleep a while and even though it was likely he would simply agree to go with her if she asked, he probably wouldn’t honestly want to go. As much as she loved him, he’d been a bit of a hermit since court and she hated the guilt of dragging him places when she knew how uncomfortable he was. Their house had become something of a safe haven to him and he openly breathed easier as soon as they pulled into the driveway. 

But she vividly remembered having a very similar conversion with their therapist to the one she was having with herself at that moment. He’d warned her of giving too much of herself away and encouraged her to set aside time to do things for herself. She realized there was no reason to give up her entire afternoon just to watch him sleep. She knew she would come home to him in end. She always would. So with a light sigh, she leaned over him and gently placed a kiss on the top of his head, leaving him a message on his slate for when he woke up. 

“Where are you headed?” Remy asked, with a steaming mug in hand as he watched her descend the stairs.

“Lunch with the girls,” she replied hurriedly while she checked through her purse for her keys. 

“Where’s Link?” 

She paused briefly, huffing as she pushed her hair out of her face. 

“Sleeping.”

“Party that tiresome? I saw you were too exhausted to make it to your own room last night,” he answered as he tried to read her body language. She seemed too stressed to simply be going to lunch. 

“Do you think I should wake him up?” she asked through a loud exhale as she continued to dig through her bag, completely ignoring his comment. 

“Why would you wake him up?”

She tried to search her mind for any logical reason she needed to wake him but came up empty. The emotional part of her mind was always reluctant to leave him, but the rational part of her realized he'd be fine. It was a constant battle for her. She’d been so sure of herself as she got dressed, but the closer she got to leaving the more it nagged at her. 

“I don’t know. What if he wakes up while I’m gone?”

“Well I sure hope he does.”

She gave him a dirty look before standing and walking back towards the stairs, her mind made up for a second time.

“Zelda, I was joking! Just let him sleep. You know you can exist in two different spaces, right?”

She stopped with her hand on the banister before shaking her head and walking back towards the garage door, but not before turning to face her father again. 

“Were you and mom like this?” 

The mention of his wife wiped away any expression he’d held on his face the moment before. The pain of her loss was always just a breath away. Just one word, one memory, one scent, one song could send him reeling back into that place he’d worked so hard to pull himself from all those years ago. He blinked heavily to keep himself from showing it.

“Sometimes,” he admitted delicately, cautious of his own feelings, “Particularly in the beginning. And if I had more time with her now, she would never leave my sight.”

He approached her and wrapped a light arm around her as she anxiously ran her hand up and down the strap of her bag. 

“I can never promise that something won’t happen. I think I’d be hard pressed to convince you of that considering all we've been through with him already. But I can promise you that going out to eat lunch with your friends, who you’ve seen very little of recently, is not going to make him disappear. He’s probably going to wake up and then come fall back to sleep on the couch like he always does. He’s like having an old man around. He’s practically a grandpa already.”

She let him hold her a moment before laughing at the image of a wrinkled Link hobbling down the stairs. She wiggled out of his grasp to turn the door handle, her heart for now settled once again. 

“He’s not the one that will be a grandpa,” she said slowly, deliberately, as she savored the confusion she knew was all over his face at her words, “That would be your next title,” she winked at him quickly as she slipped through the smallest crack possible and pulled the door closed before he could grab her. Nothing made her feel better than ruffling his feathers a little.

“Zelda?!” he called after her through the door, “What does _that_ mean?”

He could hear her faint laughter until the buzz of the garage door opening drowned it out. He grumbled as he went to sit in his favorite chair in the living room, turning the television on for background noise as he fielded his daily thousands of emails from work. He could almost hear Impa’s voice in the back of his head chastising him with a smirk on her face that said, “ _I told you so.”_

“Zelda?” 

He heard Link’s voice after an hour or so of fielding attacks on his fatherhood from his own mind. He looked up to see him rubbing at his eyes, craning his neck to look for her. 

“She went out with her friends, she’ll be back in a little bit. I’m assuming she messaged you.”

“Oh,” he said to his feet as he stood on the last step.

Eventually he shuffled to sit on the corner of the couch, pulling his legs up so he could hold his knees. He looked almost adrift as he let his eyes go unfocused, his head slightly tilted as he blankly watched the screen. 

“Do you uh…” Remy said awkwardly, “Do you have any other friends from school? I don’t want you to think you can’t see them. I’d be fine if you went somewhere too.”

Link’s eye twitched before he lightly shook his head, resting his chin on his knees.

“Did you ever hang out with anyone before you met Zelda? Surely there was someone you talked to at school,” he pressed, feeling a little broken hearted for him as he sat there like a child in timeout. 

“Not really... I just had my mom.”

The quiet that fell over them felt heavy and humid, like it was sapping the life from the air around them.

“I’m sorry, son,” Remy said softly, not knowing how else to respond. 

“It’s okay.”

He shifted to his side and leaned into the couch cushion with his back to Remy, signifying the end of their conversation, but Remy wasn’t willing to leave him like that.

“Well I’m going to the office for a bit if you want to tag along. We can do old man stuff together like complain about life over coffee and boss the interns around. We’re about to launch the next update. You could get a sneak peak. I have something for you there anyway.”

It took him a minute to respond, but eventually he rolled over enough to mumble out an “okay.”

An hour later Link sat in a room at Hyrule Inc. holding a sample slate in his hands as he scrolled through the newly updated home screens. It looked oddly familiar, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. There were several other people in the room that he recognized as employees of Remy’s though he couldn’t name them. Other than Impa.

“Our partner Purah over in the technology department at the high school we’ve partnered with brought this design to our attention a few months ago. It was actually partially developed by one of the students there. It allows for direct customization of the screens and resizing of the runes to better suit the needs of the consumer. We built off that initial idea and this is the final result. We should be able to send out an update within the coming days,” Impa explained as Link used his fingers to enlarge and shrink a few icons on the screen. 

“I heard about that student’s design,” Remy said over his shoulder, making him startle a little, “Dr. Purah brings us ideas all the time. I partnered with the school to get more computer science instruction to the next generation several years ago. Young people make up such a huge portion of our users that I wanted a way for them to give their voice on our product and help us continually grow to meet their ever changing demands. Here, I’ll update yours so you can see for yourself on your own slate.”

Remy took Link’s offered slate and laid it on the tiny raised pedestal in the middle of the room. The metal gave off a slight blue hue before his slate dinged and the home screen reloaded. Link picked it up and smiled when his picture rune filled up most of the device instead of simply sitting in the corner, an image of him and Zelda cheek to cheek in Kakariko, their noses a matching shade of pink, centermost on his screen. He hardly used the other runes, but he loved to take pictures so it was no surprise to him that one was the largest. He sometimes used them as references later when he drew, but mostly he used them to remind himself of his new life when he felt himself slipping backwards. Remy looked on as Link quietly played with the update, not realizing everyone was looking at him. 

“Do you really not remember?” Remy finally asked, causing Link to look up confused. 

“What?”

“Link, you wrote a paper that outlined the basic version of this months ago. Your idea is where this all stemmed from,” Remy explained as he sat his slate down and looked around the room. 

“I just made the runes different sizes, I didn’t do all this,” he said sheepishly, scooting down in his chair, “I don’t know how to update anything.”

“Every invention starts with one brilliant idea. You just gave us a starting point. I wanted my development team to have a chance to meet the mind behind this project they’ve been working on,” Remy said as he waved his hand across the room at the people gathered there. Remy’s business was so casual that Link had no idea he was in any type of meeting at all. He thought they were simply working. 

“Well done, kid!” a woman across the room shot him a thumbs up. 

“Keep fostering that mind, you’ve got great potential!” said another. 

The encouragement and the positive words filled the room like shouts of surprise at a birthday party and he didn’t know whose face to linger on or what to say in response. He simply held his slate in his lap with his mouth slightly open. Although his brain was scrambling to find a reason why he shouldn’t accept it, he finally settled on the notion that for once, he’d done something to deserve it. He _had_ made that simple design. He’d even done what Dr. Purah had said and written it all out with Zelda’s help. He just had no idea it ever went anywhere. It was something he’d nearly forgotten about in the madness of his life that came after. His eyes finally fell to Remy who was looking at him proudly as he stood beside him. 

“Thank you,” he finally said with a polite smile and nod of his head. 

Remy grinned and laid a proud hand on his shoulder. 

“Now everyone, I’m late for a coffee date. I’ll let you all finish this up.”

Link followed him out the door, a small smile on his face that grew the moment he saw Zelda walking across the hall. 

“Link!” she shouted as she ran towards him, almost toppling him over in a hug. 

“I have so much to tell you!” she beamed as she stood trapped in his arms, “Let’s walk downtown!” 

Link looked at Remy who simply chuckled and shook his head.

“Seems you’ve come into more important business than sitting through a boring drink with me. I’ll take a rain check.” 

“Let’s go!” Zelda pulled him by the arm down the hall. Link held his eyes as long as he could before she’d shuffled him too far away and he turned his attention to her instead. 

“I think you’re stuck with that one,” Impa said as she walked up to stand beside him, watching the pair nearly skip down the long walkway to the elevators, Zelda's mouth opening and closing nonstop as Link nodded at her every word. 

“More like he’s stuck with me.”

“You’ve gone mushy on me, Remy,” she clicked her tongue when they finally disappeared behind the doors. 

“No, I’m just happy she’s happy,” he hummed as he felt his own smile lingering on his face. 

“Kid is lucky to have you. Quiet as he is, he’d have fallen through the cracks of the system for sure.”

Remy’s grin turned into a flatline of annoyance as he looked down at Impa who met his flustered look with her own haughty stance despite her small stature compared to his. 

“Do you make it your mission every day to ruin mine?” he snipped back at her sarcastically as she shoved him playfully with her shoulder, though it only really reached his hip.

“Only on slow days.”

He shook his head, failing at hiding his quiet amusement from her. 

“Go scare the interns instead of pestering me. I’m going to hide from everyone in my office. Tell them I’m on a conference call or something.”

“Yes, boss,” she let out an airy laugh, her heels clicking all the way to her own workspace. 

* * *

He sat across from her feeling the steam of his drink fan across his face. She was so animated as she recounted her lunch, from her getting lost on the way there, to panicking and having to run out in the middle of it to refill her parking meter only to realize she still had another hour left. 

“Riju said he was such a jerk about it that she dumped him this morning! Can you believe that? And she did it through a slate message after he stormed out. She’s insane.”

“That’s crazy,” he agreed. 

“Yeah, I know! She’s been dreaming of being with him for so long now. I feel kind of bad that she saw the truth about him like that. But at least she knows now. She also said she’s never drinking alcohol again for the rest of her life, but I don’t believe her. You should meet her aunt. She owns a bar out in Gerudo Town. She goes and visits every summer. No way she doesn’t drink when she’s there. What did you and Dad do today?”

“Oh,” he straightened in his seat as she abruptly pushed the topic of conversation onto him, “He showed me the new update on the slate.”

Her grin stretched across her face as he told her about the meeting and how they’d used his original idea for the new update. He told her about how everyone had congratulated him and that he’d almost forgotten about it until Remy reminded him of it. He’d said he had no idea that Remy ever even read that paper they’d written together and he thought Purah was just giving him busy work when she assigned it. But she knew that he’d read it. She’d given it to him herself after they’d finished it and she’d dropped Link off on the turn before his house, him having convinced her it would be a pain for her to have to turn around at the end of his road. She remembered watching him walk home and the disconnect she’d felt the moment he’d shut the car door. 

It had been a while since she’d seen him really enthusiastic about something and any guilt she’d held onto previously washed away as she realized how good it had been for him to experience that on his own and be able to recount it to her. 

“I was wondering when he’d tell you,” she smiled as she watched him fidget through his words. 

“You knew?” 

“Of course I knew! I helped you write it, remember?” she grinned at him, “Dad’s been super excited about it for forever now.”

He tried to search his brain for anytime it had come up in conversation at all, but he found nothing. 

“He has?”

Zelda tucked her hair behind her ear, pulling one leg up in her chair so she could lean back and look at him as he seemed to puzzle it out. They’d lost and found him again for so long now that it was no surprise to her that he’d failed to notice the little things going on around him. There were days he barely focused his eyes enough to make it downstairs, much less keep up with everything her and her father had been doing. She tried not to imagine the battle he was fighting internally, so she'd been patient as he forged his own path though it, even when it meant losing him to his own mind for days at a time. 

“He talks about it a lot at work. I helped them write a good portion of it. I love designing software, there’s something so satisfying about writing a code and then watching it do exactly what you told it to do. He wanted it to be a surprise, but was waiting on the right time to tell you. I guess he picked today.”

He still looked a bit behind as she continued to talk and she slowed down when she could see how badly it was starting to bother him. 

“What’s wrong?” she finally asked as he leaned into his hand. 

“I didn’t even notice.”

He looked out the large window beside them, the lights of the cars reflecting off the blue in his eyes as they turned and maneuvered the busy downtown streets. Sometimes she realized how easy it was to forget just how much he’d been deprived of before he'd come to live with them and just how much that still effected him now. He wasn’t used to looking forward, only living in the moment long enough to see if there would even be a future for him at all. Both her and her father had been content to let him find a place for himself at his own pace, but that didn’t stop him from feeling as though he’d always be one step behind everyone else, even if it just meant him missing little details about their life as he figured it all out. 

“You’ve just been busy,” she replied calmly, reaching across to hold his hand. "It's okay."

He let her flip it over and explore the lines there, his fingers lax as he let himself feel every movement. He didn’t want to miss things like that anymore. He didn’t want Zelda to have to constantly give him everything while he felt as though he did nothing in return. He wanted to be the reason her eyes lit up or her talking increased to such a pace that her sentences started to blur together because she was just too excited to get to her next thought before she let the previous one escape in its proper order. More than anything, he just wanted to _be_ without feeling like his being was somehow a tax to everyone around him. He didn't want to feel like Zelda would always have to be there to fill in all the empty gaps he inevitably left behind when he missed or forgot something. That thought process seemed to be the hardest to unlearn for him, but he was determined to get there eventually and her patience with him was helping him more than she knew. 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked him. 

He flipped his hand over so he could hold hers properly. 

“You.”

She looked away from him with a tilt of her head, a bashful smile on her face. 

“That’s why Riju is jealous,” she almost laughed as she scooted closer, her body pressing into the table so she could lean forward. 

“Jealous?”

“Of you.”

“What?”

“Well, of us. I haven’t really seen them all in forever so I kind of filled them in on what I’ve been doing. I didn’t tell them anything big, because I know you might not want me to share those things, but I just told them you were living with us because your parents weren’t able to be there anymore. Is that okay?” 

He had to look away as he saw their faces again, giving her a slight nod to continue. Briefly he wondered when the mere mention of them would stop making his stomach clench or his heart surge forward in his chest; when the pain of it would dull to be like an old bruise rather than the piercing jab it currently still was. He didn’t know how to tell her how much he still mourned for them because he knew she’d never truly understand. He felt so at home with Zelda and her father, but it wasn’t as easy for him to throw his parents away as it had been for them to do the same to him. 

“I told them about how I got to pick out everything for your room. When we went to Kakariko. I showed them pictures of your art. They were super impressed by that, by the way.”

He felt his cheeks heat as she kept talking. 

“I basically just told them how sweet you are and how obsessed my Dad is with you. They were insanely jealous. Riju said Grante always had an excuse not to meet her parents and was always forcing her to do things she didn’t want to do. I said you’d never do that.”

“So you just talked about me the whole time?”

She giggled and leaned back in her chair, picking up her now cold latte as she sipped what was left of it. 

“They told me just to bring you next time. They like you.”

“Wh-” he stopped himself, looking at her as she raised a brow at him. 

“I mean, okay,” he agreed quietly, “Maybe you guys can teach me how to play that game next time we are together.”

She hopped forward, shoving her hands under her thighs so she could bounce on them, giving her newfound excitement somewhere to go as she immediately started making plans in her mind. 

“We could have everyone over! That would be so much fun! I’ll message them. I don’t think they were doing anything later anyway. I just left to see you.”

He watched her excitedly type on her slate before flipping it over and showing it to him. 

_I had planned on eating my sadness, but that sounds better,_ Riju had typed, followed by a series of pizza icons. 

Mipha and Paya quickly agreed shortly after and Zelda sighed contentedly as she informed her dad of their plans. 

“I could...I could cook dinner,” Link offered, “Unless Riju wants pizza.”

She laid her slate down and beamed up at him. 

“Can you make that one pasta? The spicy one we saw online?”

“Yeah,” he smiled back demurely as he ran the hem of his sweater over in his hands. 

As she typed she kept flicking her eyes up at him. He was so different than that timid boy she had noticed in class those months ago. How many years had he been right there, completely invisible to her while she carried on as if nothing was happening? How many times had he stumbled into school aching and alone and she’d been just a row of seats away, happily chatting about this and that with Mipha? How many nights had he spent curled on that thin mattress on his floor behind a locked door while she and her Dad argued over the best Goron spice mixture? She didn’t want to lose another moment with him now that she’d found him. She clicked her slate closed and stilled her previous excitement just to study him sitting across from her. 

He caught her staring and looked away, resting his forehead on the cool glass as he watched the people outside. 

“Do you want to drive home?” she finally asked, biting back her smile when he looked openly horrified. 

“From here?!” he lifted his head off the glass. 

“Why not?

“Because…” he waved his arm around at the window and the continuous stream of traffic before them, “Because I don’t want to go back to the hospital.”

“Link, you drive like a grandpa. We will be fine.” 

“I do not!”

“Yes you do! You always go like ten miles under the speed limit. What are you going to crash into? A turtle?”

He pulled his knit hat over his head, his sideburns curling out from underneath the rim in just that way that made Zelda want to twirl them around her fingers. 

“I’m not even supposed to be driving, we’ll get in trouble.”

“Only if you talk about it really loud where everyone can hear you!” she teased him. 

He pulled his shirt up to cover his face as she laughed at him.

“Besides, once you get your license you don’t have to wait for me to always be late picking you up anymore.”

He peaked out from his shirt before dropping it and offering his hand so she could slide out of the booth they had been sharing together. 

“I don’t mind waiting if it’s for you.”

“You’re too much,” she bumped into his side as they slid out of the door of the restaurant and into the chilled winter air, the sounds of the city wrapping around them. 

“I’m not enough,” he corrected, “But I’m trying,” he said quickly before she could get onto him. 

“And I don’t mind waiting for you either.”

He licked his lips, feeling the cool air across them as he looked at her, the wind shrouding her face in her own hair as it whipped loosely around her head. He took off his hat and gently put it on her instead, tucking the stray strands under the edge of it, making sure her ears were completely covered. Her already pink cheeks deepened a whole shade as she reached behind him to pull his hood up, not willing to let him be cold either. 

“Where’s your keys?” he asked as she pulled the zipper of his jacket the rest of the way up, her face a little too close to his. 

“Race me and you can have them,” she quietly taunted him, her lips just a breath from his. Before he could react, she turned and skid down the sidewalk, leaving the heat of her words to fog in the now empty space before him. 

“Hey!” 

He trailed her all the way through the parking lot, catching her breathless as she shoved her heavy keys into his hands with her back against the driver side door. 

“Take us home, grandpa,” she laughed as she stood on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss into his cheek, finally giving him what he'd been chasing. 

He watched his breath fog as she slipped away from him to slip inside the car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to wrap this up before it becomes a day in the life of Zelda and Link story. I could literally just sit and write about them going to the grocery store at this point. But no one asked for that. Hopefully this redeems Riju a bit for everyone. 
> 
> I fought with this one in the editing process and I'm not happy with it, but I'm letting it go. I'm hitting the post button. It is in your hands now. Do with it what you will.


	40. Chapter 40

Link changed with the season. As winter receded and the promise of balmy spring nights loomed in the evening air, he appeared to tuck himself away. He’d grown so that he was able to function fairly normally at school, even joking around with Zelda’s friends he now hesitantly called his own. They’d even added him to their group chat. He was more proud of that fact than he cared to admit, but it did nothing to stop the feeling of impending doom that seemed to follow him around like a stray cat. The worst part was that he didn’t know why it was there. 

“I have Zelda,” he whispered to himself as he sat clutching his churning stomach in the early morning hours, “I have Remy. I have a family. I have friends. It’s over. It’s all over.”

But it clung to him still, coating him in a tacky substance that made it so that his every move forward was countered by an equal, if not more defiant push backwards. He woke up groggy if he woke up at all, sometimes spending the night with the stars, watching as their light faded with the rising of the sun. Those mornings he turned his alarm off before it could sound. He didn’t need it anyway. The feeling pooled in his joints, in his back, in his muscles. His brain was tired. His body was tired. But he met Zelda downstairs with a grin regardless. 

“You don’t feel good,” she sniffed him out immediately. 

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.”

She laid a soft hand to his forehead but felt no temperature. He eyed her sympathetically as she searched her brain for any reason for his physical distress, but she came up as empty handed as he was. 

“I’ll take you in,” Remy offered, “You have seemed under the weather recently.”

“No!” he raised his voice without meaning to, resulting in them both turning their heads in his direction, “I’m really fine. I just...I still have trouble sleeping. It’s okay. I’m just tired.”

“When was the last time you saw a doctor?” Remy asked.

“The hospital,” he answered quickly, letting the words escape before he could linger on the memories there. His hospitalization was mostly a blur to him and he had no interest in clarifying it. 

“I meant before that.”

He shifted nervously, his stomach nauseous at the thought. He mistrusted doctors. They were always looking for something that might not be there. As a little boy his father had told him they would twist his words so he’d been told to tell them nothing at all. They’d only taken him to get his immunizations for school, carefully bandaging or hiding any reason they might ask for more than he was allowed to say. Doctors only meant more pill bottles, which meant more illness, which meant more cracks within him. He felt like a sinking ship. As he patched one hole another split open and he sunk further in. He’d rather look past the intake of water at the promise of something different at the horizon. Maybe he’d make it before he sunk completely. 

“I don’t remember,” he answered honestly, turning to Zelda in hopes of an escape, “Can we get coffee on the way to school?”

She let her eyes linger on him a moment longer than usual, reading the signs of his body she’d learned that meant he was stressed. He carried it in his jaw and his shoulders, both of which were now tense. 

“Yeah, sure.”

He deflated and smiled at her, but not before Remy caught him one more time on the way out. 

“It is no trouble to me to take you to the doctor, Link. I just want to make sure you understand that.” 

“Yes, sir,” he nodded quickly as he slipped out the door. It was all Remy needed to call and make him an appointment. He knew the moment that he slipped back into pleasantries that it was an indication he’d started pushing him away again. It was an exhausting, seemingly never ending cycle. Some days he was comfortable enough with him to share his past and cry on his shoulder and other days he almost appeared frightened when he walked into the room. It made Remy want to take a visit down to whatever hole they had his father chained up in and knock him into a new century, but he knew that would benefit no one but him. He had no doubt that Link saw his father still when he looked at him, consciously or not. The only thing that would change that was time and experiences spent with a father that didn’t belittle him or strike him for no apparent reason. Seventeen years of abuse was not going to disappear in a few months, as much as he had hoped it would. 

He’d explained as much to Zelda who had looked at him as if he’d just accused her of not knowing the alphabet. Her patience with him was something he had stopped trying to comprehend. She was the one person he seemed completely relaxed around, but recently he’d pulled away even from her. He’d spent his evenings curled up on the couch or in his room. His sketchbook he usually worked on after school hadn’t been cracked open in several days and he had a half finished drawing sitting on his desk that he seemed to have no intention of finishing. He was taking a lot of over the counter medication for aches and pains and would often sit at the kitchen table massaging a headache from his temples when he was supposed to be doing school work. 

Part of Remy worried there was some residue complication from his injuries and consequent surgeries that he was trying to hide simply because that was how he was used to operating. He also wondered about all his past traumas that had been left untreated and the issues that could arise with those. He’d distressed himself enough about it to convince himself to take him to see a doctor before that morning, but the way Link had actively dodged it locked his decision in for him. So he downed his coffee and made the phone call, hoping Link wouldn't be too upset with him for doing it against his wishes. He was the parent, after all. 

* * *

“Oh shit,” Mipha said as Ms. Blossom walked the aisles between their desks, handing out their latest test, “She looks pissed.”

“I bet we all failed it,” Zelda added in. They had sweet talked their way into sitting close to one another, claiming they were helping tutor Link. She’d believed them, particularly since his grades had gradually started to improve over the semester, and had allowed them to sit on either side of him despite their near constant giggles and hushed whispers throughout the entirety of her lectures.

“Ms. Hyrule,” she said stoically, handing her paper to her face down. 

“Ms. Hamako,” she did the same for Mipha. 

“Mr. Faron,” she softened her tone while she slipped his paper on his desk. He lifted his face to watch her expression, trying to judge his grade from her reaction alone, but she only walked to the desk in front of him with no further comment. 

“My Dad’s gonna kill me,” Mipha groaned as she flipped her paper over. 

Zelda had a similar reaction, though she knew her father would be a bit more lenient. Though he wanted her to do well, he’d told her multiple times about how he’d nearly flunked out of high school himself. As long as she was doing her best and putting in effort he wouldn’t scold her. Ms. Blossom had saved the hard hitting topics for the end of the year and everyone seemed to be struggling. She tried to gauge Link's grade from his reaction, but he simply sat very still as he stared at it. 

“It’s not like I’m going to need to know what an  inverse trigonometric function is in order to swim in college,” Mipha continued to grumble, stuffing the paper in her backpack when the bell rang. 

Link sat quietly as the girls complained on either side of him. He’d glanced at his grade and simply flipped it back over on his desk, swallowing hard as he squeezed his hands under the table. 

“How’d you fair?” Mipha leaned into him to peak at his paper, but he slid it away quickly.

“Um...same,” he tried to reply casually, but he saw Zelda frown at the tone in his voice. 

“I’ll see you guys later, I gotta go change for the pool,” Mipha said as she hurried out of the classroom. 

Link and Zelda followed her out with Link trailing slightly behind. Zelda wrapped her pinky around his and led him into the tech lab where they would spend the rest of the day. Since the launch of the update, it had been a frenzy of tinkering and idea sharing, with Dr. Purah busy in the corner with her own slate, her eyes comically magnified by her new glasses that she swore helped her to see the circuits easier but made her look like a comic book character. They settled in the back at their usual spot and Link made no movement to pull out any of his homework from his other classes as he usually did. 

“Hey, I think we all failed that test. Don't worry about it so much. She’ll curve it and then you can retake it for half credit. We can help each other out,” she tried to console him when she saw him biting his lip. 

“Half of zero is still zero,” he said softly. 

“What?”

He pulled out his paper and handed it to her. She unfolded it slowly, noticing the barrage of red marks all the way through it. He hadn’t gotten a single question correct. 

“Link-”

“It’s fine,” his voice came strained as he turned his head away from her. He had his hand covering his eyes so she couldn’t see his face, but she didn’t need to in order to know how much it was bothering him. She didn’t press it for the rest of the school day and let him fall back into whatever place in his mind he seemed to go when things overwhelmed him. He pulled up his hood, plopped his headphones in his ears and buried his face into his sleeves until the bell rang and she had to nudge him to get up.

“Hey…” Zelda said quietly as they sat in the parking lot, “Dad said he went ahead and made you a doctor’s appointment for this afternoon. It’s in like an hour.”

“Okay,” his voice quivered, but he kept himself angled towards the door. 

“Is it just the test or do you still not feel good?” 

He wasn’t sure what it was about the way she’d asked, whether it was the gentleness in her tone or the way she worried about him at all, but it snapped the cord he’d been pulling tighter and tighter all day within him. He choked on a cry while she turned in her seat to face him.

“I’m not going to make it,” he cried.

“What do you mean?” she asked, unsure which direction he was taking. 

“I don’t know,” he said, shifting so he could face her. His eyes were red and watery, his jaw tense, “My head just hurts and I want to lay down.”

She reached across and swiped his hair from where it had stuck to the sweat on his forehead, tucking it back into his hood. 

“I’ll do the dishes for you so you can rest,” she replied gently as he watched her. They had made a rotation of household chores, mostly for Link’s benefit, a few weeks before. He’d asked if he could help around the house more so that he could pull his weight and Remy had been happy to rope Zelda into it as well. Link was responsible for lawn work and the trash and they split dishes and laundry. He was constantly offering to do her chores for her, if only to have something to help her with like she helped him. She usually obliged him, much to Remy’s annoyance, but he never let her take on his jobs. It was one less stress he needed for the day so she had hoped he’d take advantage of it for once.

“No, I’ll do it. You have homework,” he said to the blurry visage of her as his eyes unfocused. He could feel the dull thumping of his heart in his temples and it made him want to close his eyes.

“So do you,” she countered, “I don’t mind.”

“No,” he shook his head, “It’s okay.”

_ It’s okay,  _ she thought to herself almost bitingly. Those were his go-to words. His “I’ve accepted this” words. They meant, “I’m okay with not being okay,” though he’d never admit it. He was so busy trying to prove to everyone else he was okay that he failed to convince himself. She let him rest his head on the way home without worrying about the weight of having to prove his words to her anymore. 

When they arrived home, he changed into his comfortable clothes and then immediately did his chores before she could offer again. He took some pills from the kitchen counter and waited for Remy, who honked in the driveway, signaling him to run outside. Much like every event in Remy’s life, he was running late and didn’t have time to come inside to gather him. 

“I’ll message you,” Link said to Zelda as she stood with a look of concern at the front door, “I promise.”

He leaned in and kissed her sweetly, resting his hand on her cheek as their lips met. She breathed him in and held his hand there as Remy honked outside. She was thankful the blinds were closed so he couldn’t send her angry messages later. He’d been a little stormy since her grandpa jab so she’d toned their moments of affection down in front of him just to soothe him over. 

“I love you,” she told him as he walked out the door. 

“I love you too.” 

* * *

“Any pain here?” the doctor asked as she felt along his shoulder blades.

He shook his head again for what felt like the hundredth time. 

“What about here?” she felt along the ridges of his arm, noticing the curve of it, “This looks like it didn’t set properly. How long ago did you get your cast off for this?”

He looked down at this arm and grimaced internally. 

“I don’t know.”

“Any help, Dad? When did he break that arm? Looks like it was nasty one, I’m surprised he doesn't remember,” she rolled over to Remy in her squatty doctor’s chair. She’d checked all over his body after Remy had explained his symptoms but had found nothing that immediately explained his discomfort. 

“Oh, um…” he cleared his throat, sitting up in his chair, “I’m afraid I don’t know his full medical history. Link um...joined our family quite recently.”

The doctor made a discerning look as she glanced over his papers, scooting back to Link as soon as she read the words “foster care” on his chart. 

“My apologies, I didn’t read your information as closely as I should have,” she said as she looked at Link in a new light, “I only have the information his doctors from the hospital faxed over and a scattered few shot records. Have you asked for his full medical records? That’s something he’ll need in the future.” 

“That’s all there was,” Remy clarified for her. They shared a look before she turned her attention back to Link. 

“So you’ve been experiencing headaches and body aches, right?” 

He nodded. 

She hummed and looked back over his charts, tapping her foot on the tiled floor while they sat in awkward silence. 

“Being in the foster care system can be quite...distressing. So I understand this may seem like an obvious question. But have you experienced higher levels of stress recently than normal?” 

Link seemed to think it over, his eyes darting off in Remy’s direction before they settled where they’d been the entire time; on his feet. 

“I’m fine,” is all he said.

She gave him a tight lipped smile before sighing and closing the folder in her lap. 

“Unfortunately, the best I can do for you is tell you to keep taking that over the counter pain medication if it seems to help and encourage you to get plenty of rest. If you really want, we can do some bloodwork and run some more comprehensive tests. You do need to get that arm looked at, but it won't help you today. In my professional opinion, some stress relief may do wonders for you. I’m assuming you’re seeing a therapist, right? Most of the time that’s court mandated.” 

He nodded again and she turned to face Remy, realizing that’s the only response she’d get from him. 

“If it continues, or he seems to decline, please bring him back. But I would strongly consider you bringing this up with his therapist to get their opinion as well. Sometimes pain can be a tricky thing. It’s not always as easy as you’d think to pinpoint where it’s coming from. And sometimes,” she looked briefly back at Link, “Our brains are really good at focusing on physical pain when it’s really stemming from somewhere else.” 

“Thank you,” Remy replied as she stood and exited the room.

Link stayed quiet as they checked out of the doctor’s office and walked to the car. He wore a hoodie in spite of the warmer weather and pulled up his hood to hide his face as he leaned into the door. 

“Feeling good enough to grab some dinner with me? Zelda had to run to the office to run some errands for Impa,” Remy offered, feeling slightly helpless and a bit unsettled by the doctor's words. 

“Yes, sir,” Link replied, to which Remy sighed and started the short drive to the nearest restaurant. 

Link picked at his food, occasionally opening his slate and looking at Zelda’s name before closing it again. 

“How’s school going?” Remy asked, taking a bite of his sandwich to seem as unassuming as possible, “Progress reports are soon, right?”

Link nodded and took a sip of his water, his eyes darting to his slate when it buzzed on the table. He picked it up and smiled briefly at whatever he read before setting it back down. He’d barely looked at Remy since leaving the doctor’s office and it was bugging him. 

“Link, would you mind putting that away while we eat? You’re leaving me out to dry over here,” he said carefully, watching Link’s face fall into complete neutrality. He immediately did as he was told and tucked his slate into his pocket, keeping his hands under the table. 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, refusing to meet his eyes. 

Remy put both his elbows on the table so he could lean into his hands.

“You’ve been working hard at school, working hard at home. You know how long it’s been since I didn’t have to pay someone to mow my lawn? I tried to teach Zelda how to use the lawnmower once but it gave her too much power. She can’t be trusted with heavy machinery. So I really appreciate you keeping up with that for me. I don’t even have to ask. You just do it. I don’t think I’ve thanked you for that.”

His strategic mention of Zelda seemed to have worked when the ghost of a smile flashed across Link’s lips, but he only nodded in return, taking a hesitant bite of his soup from his bowl instead of giving him a real reply. 

“You know I’d never be upset at you without telling you, right?”

Link’s eyes finally lifted momentarily to his and Remy knew he’d finally touched on it. 

“Are you?” Link asked, placing his spoon down beside his bowl, lowering his vision to watch as the dark liquid creeped into his napkin like some type of parasite crawling through the lightly textured paper. 

“Of course not,” Remy answered immediately, “I only made you that appointment because I was worried for you. You’ve been so quiet lately and I couldn’t figure out why. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“It’s-” Link stopped himself and grimaced, running a hand through his hair. The bulk of his headache had eased after taking the pills and the food in his stomach had helped as well, but the tension was still there, pulling at the back of his eyes. 

“It’s what?” Remy asked when he realized he was content to leave it like that. 

Link sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

“Zelda is going to college,” he said flatly through a long breath, finally letting free of the thought he'd been caging up inside him without realizing it. It had taken his zero on his math test to realize they were going in drastically different directions. It made him feel like he was being torn apart. 

“Yes, she’s looked at a few. Is that what’s bothering you?”

He chewed on his cheek as his jaw worked through several expressions before he clenched it entirely, a tear he’d been working so hard to keep at bay pushing past his defenses and sliding down his cheek. 

“But I’m not,” his voice quivered, barely above a whisper as he cried silently, a slow blink releasing the rest of his upset. He’d promised himself he was done crying for the day, but it always hit him without his permission. 

“What makes you say that?” 

“Because it’s true.”

He looked so dejected sitting across from him. Even when the world offered him every opportunity for growth, he never allowed himself to participate in it. He saw himself permanently on the sidelines, watching everyone else live while he observed from a distance. That was the world his parents had created for him and the one he still lived in even when they'd left him alone there. He was always knocking on the other side of the door but there was no one to let him in. Even now, as the door stood wide open, he sat there with his hands over his eyes, refusing to believe it. 

“Link, I’ll get you into college if that’s what you want. Don't worry about that. You _will_ graduate from high school and there _are_ colleges that will take you. I promise. I don’t want you to think that just because you turn 18 I’ll stop taking care of you. I’m invested now. I’m in this for the long haul. I’ll help you, but you’ve gotta help me in return.”

Link questioned him with his eyes, misty as they were. 

“You have to help me help you. I can’t do anything if you shut down. I know you’ve had to battle through this world completely solo up to this point, but you’re on a team now. And you have to be a team player. That means telling us when something is bothering you and not pushing it aside. I was worried you were hurt or sick. That’s why I took you in. We could have avoided that if you’d just talked to me.”

Link looked at him as he wiped his eyes and nodded. Remy let his words sink in as he finished the rest of his meal. 

“But speaking of grades...I haven’t gotten a letter or anything from the school about tutoring. You’re still going, right?” Remy asked when the thought suddenly dawned on him. 

“Yeah, it’s on um...Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I didn’t have it today.”

“I should have gotten a bill by now. The school usually loves asking for money. That’s strange, I’ll have to call tomorrow. Has it helped?”

An almost guilty look flashed across Link’s face as he flattened his mouth. 

“What is it?” Remy asked, “Have you been skipping or something? Did Zelda put you up to it? You know you can tell her no, right. I swear if she’s-”

“She didn’t! I’ve been going,” Link replied quickly, “It’s just…”

“Just what?” 

“They did ask for money,” he stammered, shoving his straw in his mouth to help cover his nervousness. 

“When?”

“A few times.”

“Then how-” he stopped when it hit him, “You’ve been paying it yourself, haven’t you?”

Link didn’t answer, but the flush across his cheeks answered for him. He couldn’t have looked any more guilty than he did with his brows hunched together and his eyes looking everywhere but in Remy’s direction. 

“Link!”

“I just wanted to help.”

It was hard for Remy to imagine what it was like inside Link’s mind; the constant misfiring and mixed signals he was bound to find there. But through it all, he’d made such an effort to make himself useful. He was always offering to help at home or at the office when he wasn’t doing school work or sleeping. He seemed to either be on or off and when he was on, he did his absolute best to take advantage of it. When he eventually came back to himself from his off days, he was always so apologetic, as if his resting was some great annoyance to everyone around him. 

But what Link didn’t see was the change his mere presence had had on their family. Although him and Zelda had always been close, they were never as close as they were after Link joined them. Where once they’d been on two different schedules, mostly eating dinner at separate times, now they made a point to all eat together. Before Link, Zelda and Remy stuck to their separate rooms to finish up the day’s business, but now they all stayed in the living room in the evenings, with Remy on his laptop shifting through work emails while they worked on homework. He enjoyed listening to their banter, but he mostly loved hearing Zelda’s laugh again. He’d never seen her more dedicated to her homework than she was when she was helping him with his. She’d always been a good student, but never more than she was now. He’d seen her grades quietly improving right alongside Link’s. He’d even managed to get her to help more around the house, even catching her fluffing the pillows in the living room one day.

“Have I told you you’re a great kid? Because you’re a great kid,” Remy said, his face beaming with pride. 

Link answered simply with a small smile, his eyes darting down to his pocket when he heard his slate buzzing. 

“Oh, just answer her or she’s going to think you got kidnapped,” Remy laughed. 

Link pulled out his slate and his grin slowly grew into a full smile, his eyes crinkling at the edges. 

“What is it?” Remy asked. 

Link turned his slate around showing him just an image of a small guardian wearing what looked like a top hat. 

“Is that it? That’s the joke? There’s no words.”

Link only chuckled as he turned it around to answer her. 

“You two are from the same planet and it isn’t this one,” Remy joked as Link sent her back an equally goofy image of tiny Korok comically riding a large horse. 

“Thank you for dinner,” Link said as he stacked his silverware and napkins on his plate. His eyes were still slightly puffy, his cheeks ruddy. But the worry from the past few weeks had seemed to subside for now. 

“You’re welcome,” Remy replied. He imagined Zelda sitting at her desk in her tiny office, grinning from ear to ear just like Link was doing as she read his message. He realized in that moment how much Link truly meant to both of them and it made him almost weepy. He shoved the rest of his fries into his mouth and heard Impa's voice in his head. He really had gone mushy. But he would never give her the satisfaction of saying it out loud. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really realize I made Link cry twice in one chapter. If you've never experienced a stress cry or stress illness I'm very envious of you. I've literally thought I was dying before and it was just anxiety. I always hate when people are like, "I'm so anxious!" and then giggle and have a normal life. Anxiety sucks.  
> There's also something called "toxic stress" that can actually cause you to be in physical pain. Link's lived with such a high level of stress for so long that it doesn't take much to push him into that dangerous place where it gets physical. But the weather is warmer now, maybe they will use that hot tub everyone may have forgotten about! R&R, y'all. 
> 
> I'm going back to work next week (cue sirens and explosion noises in my head) so I likely won't be posting at 4am anymore.  
> I know we are all in different time zones, but just don't ever expect it to come at a certain time lol
> 
> (also here is me quietly celebrating 40 chapters. FORTY?!)


	41. Chapter 41

As the weeks went on, Link found himself drifting into thoughts of his mother. His nights were plagued with racing internal speculation of where she was, what she was doing. Had she made friends where she was staying? Or was she all alone still? Did she miss him? Was she worried for him as he was worried for her? For so long she had been his only constant, even when she was inconsistent. At the end of the day, he had always gone home for her even when the most logical thing for him to have done would have been to run in the opposite direction. He had always planned on getting better together. But the world had separated them. And when she’d reached out for him, he hadn’t been ready. He still didn’t feel ready to see her, but it didn’t stop the flood of thoughts that rushed him at night, giving him that dizzying feeling of guilt which resulted in him laying on the bathroom floor with his face on the cold tiles in the early hours of the morning. With his eyes closed, he could almost put himself back in his house where she was simply a door down, sleeping with the door closed like she had for the majority of his life. It was only the rising of the sun that reminded him that part of his life was over. He’d wake up to Zelda’s smiling face in the hallway and Remy’s grumbling as he poured a cup of coffee, scratching through his beard to force himself awake. They'd both tell him good morning and go about their day with him as a central figure in their lives. 

Sometimes in the evenings he would simply sit and watch them interact. Their conversations were so effortless. They’d occasionally fall into the world of memory and he soon discovered that he loved to hear about Zelda’s adventures as a child, often stopping them to ask a hundred questions in clarification when he realized just how starkly different her's was from his. He’d learned that she lost a tooth once at school and cried because she thought the tooth fairy wouldn’t accept it. They told him about the day she finally learned how to tie her shoes and how Remy had thrown her a surprise party for it to celebrate not having to tie them himself anymore. Remy had recalled with great fondness when Leora had surprised him with news of her pregnancy and how scared he had been to be a father. They looked through pictures, they laughed, they smiled, they got misty eyed when they discussed Zelda’s mother's passing. Although they included him in all of it, as they did everything now, he couldn't help but feel like a bystander.

He felt the absence of his own family so much more profoundly in those moments, a realization he would never share with them. It was not an ache they could soothe, so he chose not to bother them with it at all. Though they told him time and time again that he was family, he couldn't shake the creeping notion that he was simply an imposter. That one day they would wake up and realize he didn't truly belong there and would send him away, though to who he did not know. He had no one left without them. In his heart he knew that would never happen, but the thoughts continued regardless of how he tried to rationalize them away. He'd grown weary of the battle between his body and his mind but it was something he had to march through day by day, hour by hour, if he were ever to receive any peace beyond the refuge he could create in his own mind. He'd often wondered if that was where his mother went too on those long days where she locked herself away. Did she imagine him differently as he did with her? Inside the scopes of their own daydreams they could draft the architecture of their relationship to fit their specific needs. For Link, he imagined her responsive and playful, even proud. But how had she pictured him? Was he quieter? Easier to love? 

His only memories of being young were painful ones that put pressure in his eyes just to speak of them. He remembered the sound of the metal lock on his door. He could close his eyes and almost feel the hems of the jackets in the hallway closet where they occasionally made him sleep when his father invited visitors into their home. He remembered his lip bleeding on his pillow case, the day he’d gotten in trouble for asking when his birthday was. Most of all he just remembered being alone. He’d reached out so many times into nothingness that eventually he had stopped trying at all. The day came when he didn’t ask his mother to play with him anymore, he only took the scraps she offered him when the tides of her mind were high enough to support the idea that she was a mother. He avoided his father at all costs and bore the brunt of his anger when necessary, patching himself up afterwards until the next round came. That had been the cycle of his life until he'd met Zelda. 

Part of him wanted to ask his mother if they’d ever been happy like Zelda’s family had been. Had he ever been happy? Did he have a favorite movie when he was little? Did he have a favorite game he liked to play? What was her favorite memory of him? Had his father ever really spent time with him aside from when he was punishing him? Maybe when he was much smaller? He had very few memories of being little other than sharp images of his worst moments, but he liked to believe they’d simply outshined what might have been there. He knew his parents shared some type of love before he had come along. Had they been excited to find out his mother was pregnant with him? Or had he been an inconvenience since then too? He knew the only way to get those answers was to speak with her, but the thought made his mouth dry and his heart race. 

The notion of him seeing her had become a source of quiet contention between him and Zelda. He’d fought himself long enough to bring it up to her and while she’d tried to understand, she just couldn’t look past what she’d done to him long enough to see the potential benefits of the closure she might bring him if they were to speak again. She saw his mother as nothing but a source of pain in his life. To her, telling him it might not be a great idea to rehash his past with her was almost similar to explaining to a small child not to touch a hot stove. It should have been obvious to him, but it wasn’t. It was the first time Zelda really and truly noticed how bent his thinking was and it pained her heart to see him so stuck on the idea that he still owed her something. She’d eventually asked her father for help who had been just as lost as she was. 

Eventually, Remy had decided on the next best thing. He’d offered to take Link to the storage facility where his family’s belongings were being stored. He thought perhaps he could find whatever he was looking for there without the threat of his mother’s manipulations to break him down. Link had quietly agreed and they’d driven there one Friday after school. 

Link’s things were stacked separately, marked “Bedroom 2” by the moving company on the outside of the box. The grand total of the boxes it had taken to pack up his entire life was three. He’d given both Remy and Zelda permission to help him sort through everything despite not really knowing what they would find. 

“Link!” Zelda squealed, causing him to turn around. 

She held up one of his old sweaters, clutching it to his chest. 

“It’s the sweater you were wearing one of the first times I talked to you!” the fondness on her face was so palpable he could almost feel it radiating off of her, “You told me you got it at a thrift store!”

“You said it had a whole life before me," he responded, remembering the whole scene in vivid detail. 

She sucked in a deep breath as she pulled it over her head, reminiscing on how bashful he’d been then. He had hardly been able to look at her in the eye that day after school. She remembered the odd compulsion she’d had that day to talk to him even though she really had no reason to approach him at all. He’d just been sitting there all alone on the steps looking at where the buses pulled out of the lot, even though they'd all left some time before. Most everyone had already departed for the day, yet he remained. Something inside her had pulled her towards him and then permanently lodged itself in her heart after they spoke, no matter how brief it had been. It was the same feeling she still felt, though it was now amplified to a point that it set the tone of all her thoughts.

“You remember,” she smiled softly at him. 

He returned her smile, looking back down in the box he was currently going through but finding nothing noteworthy. Just his old drawing supplies and sketchbook full of people he’d drawn from referencing the television when his father wasn’t home and he could sit in the living room without fear he'd committed some invisible crime. 

“Link, what is this?!” Zelda exclaimed, holding up a small plastic box that slightly resembled a treasure chest. It rattled when she shook it and her expression turned to one of confusion when she opened it. 

“You kept all your teeth?!”

Remy looked over her shoulder and smiled. 

“I kept all of yours.”

Zelda gasped loudly in feigned surprise, “I thought the tooth fairy took all my teeth,” she joked with him.

“I didn’t know about that until I went to school,” Link said, taking the box from her hand, “I think I got this from school and I just put all my other teeth in there as I lost them.”

“They didn’t…” she trailed off before she could finish her sentence. _They didn’t help you?_ She’d wanted to ask, but the answer was obvious. 

“I just kind of...they just kind of would fall out. Sometimes my mom would say something about it but most of the time it didn’t really matter. I just kept them. I don’t know why.” 

Remy turned his back to look through another box, but mostly to hide his expression from Link. He couldn’t help but see Zelda’s little face when she woke up to a rupee under her pillow. He could almost hear the thunder of her feet as she ran downstairs to proudly display it to him as if he hadn’t just snuck it there after she’d fallen asleep. It was such an innocent part of childhood and one of the many small joys he’d had experiencing watching her grow up. To imagine purposely withholding that from a child was an offense he’d never even thought of. Had they not wanted to see him smile? To experience his joy as their own? He shook his head and continued sorting through the old bills and paperwork in the box before him to take his mind off it. 

“The tooth fairy owes you big time,” Zelda said as Link placed the little box back down. He chewed on a smile as he kept up his search too. 

All in all they found a few photo albums, a shoe box of drawings, and a stack of papers from his time in school as the only evidence he’d lived in the house at all. The rest of it was collections of his father’s junk, household items, and his parent’s clothing. He swiftly closed the box containing his father’s shirts, the smell of them cutting straight to the deepest pit of his stomach and turning it sour. He’d had to fight the sudden urge he had to swiftly leave the room and took a moment to breath in the air away from the box just to remind himself his father wasn’t really there. 

“Look at all these awards you got!” Zelda’s voice pulled him back, “Report Card All Star, Homework Hero, All A’s,” she listed off as she shuffled through them, “Kindergarten. Kindergarten. 1st Grade...that’s it. I don’t see anymore.”

“I guess I wasn’t always stupid,” he shrugged, but he could feel her eyes on him as she no doubt glared at him from behind her own box. 

“Say it again,” she said, the irritation in her voice obvious. 

“ _What_? It’s not like I’d get a reward like that now.”

She punctuated at the end of his sentence with a balled up sweatshirt to the back of his head and he turned towards her with another shrug. 

“You are not stupid,” she said firmly, emphasizing every word. 

“Well I am currently failing school.”

Remy popped his head up, intrigued to hear them bickering for once. Usually their conversations were either incoherent to him or sweet babbling that made his teeth hurt. This was something he hadn’t experienced before and it piqued his interest to see how they would resolve it. 

“That doesn’t mean you’re stupid. You have to stop talking about yourself that way.”

“What else am I supposed to say?”

“That you’re patient, that you’re an incredible artist, that you’re a wonderful listener, that you’re good with technology even though you’re convinced you’re not. That you’re cute and your eyes are beautiful and I just want to always put my hands in your hair and-”

“Okay! We get it!” Remy interjected before she got too carried away and his innocent image of her was shattered forever, “He’s the best brother in the whole world!”

“He is NOT my brother!” she yelled as she threw her next projectile at him, her ire now focused elsewhere. Remy caught it before it could hit him and Zelda huffed and scooted over closer to Link. 

“I guess school just got harder for me,” he said softly as she let out the last of her frustration in a long breath and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“No, _life_ just got harder for you,” Remy corrected, “I’d like to see anyone live through what you did and get straight A’s. Be proud of what you’ve pulled yourself through. You made it. If you can make it through that, imagine what else you can accomplish.”

He nodded and laid his head down on Zelda’s, their hands drifting unconsciously towards the other. 

“Do you mind if we take these with us? These are the only ones I found of you by yourself,” Remy said when Link and Zelda seemed to drift into some kind of unspoken agreement that simply being near one another would ease the upset inside both of them. 

He handed Link the photos that had felt like dead weights in his hands since he found them stuffed inside an old album that looked as though it hadn't been touched in years. They were all of Link much smaller, likely all elementary school. It gave merit to Link’s descriptions of his mother’s decline as he’d grown older. He could tell she’d made some attempt to document his life that had been distinctly cut off at one point. There were only a few pictures, but the stories they told were numerous. As Zelda cooed over how cute Link had been, all Remy could see was the uncertainty and the sadness in his eyes, even through his fake crooked smiles. It was hard for him not to imagine the same look on Zelda or to reconcile with the idea that Link’s parents had seen that same look on his face and decided it was okay to continue treating him the way they were despite how obviously it was affecting him. 

“Look how precious you were,” Zelda breathed out as she held a picture of him sitting on his bed, clutching the same stuffed puppy they’d found previously to his chest, “I just want to snatch you up and hold you. You were so tiny.”

“Why do you want them?” Link asked, looking up at Remy as Zelda continued to bubble over about his cuteness or how long his hair had been. 

“Because I have two kids now and a severe lack of one of them up on my walls,” Remy said as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. 

Link blinked heavily a few times before slightly nodding in response, imagining the likeness of him hanging as a neighbor to one of the many pictures of Zelda's he'd seen hanging in their home. 

“You can have them,” he said, picking up another image from the box. It was of his mother, though only he would have been able to decipher that as the only part of her that could be seen was the back of her head. She was holding him. He was likely only two or three, with his face crushed into her neck, his hands balled into fists as he clung to the fabric of her shirt. He looked down at it so long that he almost forgot he wasn’t alone. 

“Link, you can go see her whenever you want," Remy finally said when he couldn't stand to watch him mourn over her photo anymore, "Just give me the word and I’ll take you. You can go by yourself, you can take Zelda, we can all go, it’s whatever you want. I would never keep you from her. I know I turned it down before, but I promise it will be your choice now."

Link swallowed hard and put the picture in his pocket, turning to Zelda. 

“It’s up to you,” she said, grabbing his hand again. 

“I…I just want to see if she’s okay. And maybe....if I graduate she’d like to come. We could give her one of Zelda’s invitations I guess. I don’t have any,” he said as he looked down at the rough cement floor of the storage room they were sitting in, finally admitting to himself that he really did want to see her, even if all they did was properly say goodbye to one another. He just had to know she was okay without him. 

“You mean _when_ you graduate,” Zelda revised for him, “And I could make you an invitation at Dad’s office, you don’t have to get one from school.”

“Okay,” Link breathed, looking up at them. 

“Okay you want to go see her? Or just okay in general?” Remy asked, unsure of how to read his body language. 

“Would you go with me?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” they answered simultaneously and all he could do was smile shyly in return. It was still so odd to him how much they cared for him, but it wasn't an unwelcome feeling. Only one he had to get used to. 

“Oh my Gods!” Zelda exclaimed and Link and Remy both turned to her in confusion as her eyes grew wide. 

“I don’t know what your middle name is!” 

“What?” Link asked, thoroughly puzzled how she’d arrived there from their previous conversation. 

“For your invitation. I need to put your full name on it. I know your last name but not your middle name. I can’t believe I’ve never asked!” she almost seemed ashamed of herself. 

“Alexander,” Remy chimed in, causing Zelda to turn and look at him questioningly. 

“It's in his paperwork," he clarified for her and she shuffled even closer into Link as she saw it written in her mind. 

“Link Alexander,” she said, testing it out for the first time. 

“Mhm”

She said it a few more times, feeling the way her tongue rolled on the back of her teeth as it formed it in her mouth. 

“I like that,” she finally grinned at him. 

“I like you,” Link said under his breath, though Remy caught it, his eyes rolling so far back in his head he could see his own thoughts. 

“This family has become a tricycle and I’m the third wheel,” he groaned as Zelda simply leaned forward so that they could invade each other’s spaces even just a fraction more than they already were. He loved that they loved each other and that they were so good to one another, but the joy it brought him was bittersweet. As he sat and watched them communicate in fluttering lashes and tilts of the head, he realized that one day, if life was kind and fair and didn’t separate them, they’d move on and forge a new path together, leaving him on his own once again. It had been ten years since he’d held his wife’s hand the way Zelda always kept Link’s in her’s. Ten years since she’d kissed him for the last time; his love for his daughter the only thing that kept him from jumping into the spirit realm to join her. While he was overjoyed to see that Zelda had seemed to find that same kind of all enduring love, it was a blunt reminder to him that he had once had that too and lost it. 

“Dad?” Zelda asked, noticing his far off look and the sheen on his eyes. 

He blinked his tears back before anyone saw them in full, closing the box before him with a heavy sigh. 

“Let’s go home,” he said, standing and offering her a hand. She took it gently and let him ruffle her hair as he pushed her head into his side like he’d done when she was younger.

The ride home and consequently the evening after were muted as both Link and Remy processed the different facets of their loss. When Link eventually mumbled something about taking a shower for bed, Zelda pounced on the opportunity she’d been planning since leaving the storage facility earlier that day and noticing the shift in Link's mood, hurrying into the kitchen to compile a tray of items that she planned to carry upstairs. 

“What nonsense do you have planned this evening?” Remy asked as he watched her steep a cup of tea, stirring in a spoonful of honey and frothed milk. 

“Oh, nothing,” she casually dismissed him as she warmed a heating pad and tucked it beside the mug on the tray. 

“Need I remind you to sleep in your own room tonight? My list of rules for you is microscopic as it is, yet you seem to continually forget about that one particular one that I personally don't find that unreasonable.”

“Dad,” she fussed, putting her things down so she could whisper towards him, “I was joking about the grandpa thing, please drop it. I’m responsible. Link is responsible. I just want to do something.”

“Something,” he deadpanned, not convinced. 

As she begrudgingly filled him in on her plan for the evening, the tension in his face slowly receded, replaced by a warmth sparked by her never-ending ability to be both the most nonsensical yet selfless person he’d ever met. 

“Don’t let me stop you. I just heard the water shut off. Better hurry.”

The look on her face reminded him of the innocent excitement she’d get on her birthday or any holiday he’d gone out of his way to make magical for her when she'd been little. He let the memory of it sooth him as he marched to his empty bedroom where he’d fight his own restless night of sleep. He'd grown quite adept at alleviating his own loneliness and his own despair through meditation or other means, but he still missed being fretted over the way Zelda worried over Link. He knew the thoughts of his late wife would begin to surge again the closer it got to the date of her passing as it did every year. This year he simply had more reminders of what it had been like to be loved in that way. 

"At least one of us might sleep tonight," he mumbled as he shuffled off to bed. 

* * *

“What are you doing?” Link asked as she draped the warmed heat wrap around his still damp shoulders and pushed the mug into his hand. 

“Helping you sleep.”

“Why?”

She led him to the edge of the bed and smoothed over the top layer with her hand, encouraging him to sit down. 

“Because you’ll just stay up all night thinking about everything and nothing all at the same time and you’ll end up in the bathroom at some point sick to your stomach over something you can’t change and then in the morning, you’ll stumble down here with your hair all ruffled on one side and your eyes heavy and pretend you just slept like a champion,” she said without hesitation. 

He had no reason to argue with her because he knew she was right. Instead, he finished his mug, wrapped the heated cloth around his neck and snuggled under his covers. She immediately pushed under them as well, cozying up in front of him, their noses just a breath apart. 

“We aren’t supposed to share a bed at night,” he said quietly, watching the shadow of her lashes dance across her cheeks. 

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before”

“But-”

“You wanna go get permission?”

“No,” he answered swiftly as their legs intertwined and he could feel himself drawing nearer to her.

She reached across and pushed his wet hair off his shoulder and he sighed, moving his hips so that he lay more comfortably. 

“You really were cute when you were little.”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he just looked at her. He watched as the blankets softly rose up and down with her breathing, as her eyes blinked slower and slower while she fought her own fatigue from the day. He watched her like he was searching for the answer to some great mystery he would find in the contours of her features. She wiggled closer, tucking her face under his chin like she knew he liked, feeling as he wrapped his arms around her. 

It took him a long time of readjusting and her rubbing circles into his back before she felt his breathing slow and the arms that once held her tightly start to slacken. She pulled back slightly to find his eyes closed and his lips slightly parted and smiled at herself, proud of her work. When she was convinced he was fully asleep, she slipped away to finish her plan. 

* * *

In the morning, he pushed her door open, a small satchel full of rupees in his hand that he had found under his pillow that morning. He shook it lightly so that she could piece together what was inside as he looked at her perplexed. 

“Zelda...what is this?”

She feigned a large yawn to hide the fact that she’d barely slept herself, instead playing his imagined reaction over and over in her head. Now that the moment had finally arrived, she could hardly keep the grin off her face. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” she choked on a giggle as he continued to look at her, “Must be back payment from the tooth fairy.”

For the longest second, he said nothing and she worried she’d somehow upset him. There were miniscule things that seemed to trigger memories within him that were hard to predict. Such as certain commercials or scents. But the look on his face didn’t speak of the tightness of anxiety or remembered pain, instead, his mouth turned down in a comical attempt to hold back his own smile as his eyes betrayed him. 

“You did not,” he said, still holding the bag in his hands. 

“No, I didn’t,” she attempted to let out dismissively, though the laugh at the back of her throat said otherwise, “It was the tooth fairy”

Her whole body moved upwards as he leapt onto her bed, crawling over to her until she was trapped beneath him. They fell apart as soon as their bodies met, melting into a pile of limbs and laughter until they found themselves tangled together once more, their lungs both expanding for air in tandem as the rhythm of their hearts fell into sync. When they were there together like that, their bodies as close to each other as they could possibly get them, everything felt perfectly aligned. 

Link wondered if he’d been missing a core part of his being all those years he’d spend longing for something he couldn’t quite conceive of. It wasn’t that Zelda necessarily was that missing piece, but rather that she’d helped him to find it within himself so that he was able to love her fully, with all of himself, rather than with the broken pieces he’d once taken as acceptable because it was all he’d ever known. As he held her, realizing that his love was something that could be desired, that his presence appeared to do for her what her’s did for him, he could almost feel himself being stitched back together from the inside out. 

“Hey Zelda,” he breathed. 

“Hey Link?”

“Thank you.”

Her “you’re welcome” came in the form of a kiss that pushed him deep into the mattress as she rolled over him. His hands splayed on her cheeks as her hair tickled the thin skin of his eyelids while they explored each other a little deeper than they had before. Instead of her having to reel it in as she usually did, it was him who pulled away, the desperation that usually laced his eyes in those moments replaced with an adoration she’d never seen before. 

“I’ll make you breakfast,” he said softly, his eyes glossy as he twirled a section of her hair in his fingers. 

She was convinced nothing would taste sweeter than he would, but she was willing to let him try. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy tooth fairy Zelda and some slightly Remy centered angst. We have the dueling mother emotions going on here. 
> 
> We have to see Mara again y'all and then get through graduation and his birthday, but things are coming to a close as I said 10 chapters ago. Never believe me. But maybe believe me this time. I don't know. 
> 
> Sorry this took so long, work has been a bitch, I mean it's been great.


	42. Chapter 42

As much as it pained him, Remy made the phone call and set up a time for Link to visit the facility Mara was currently living in. He did so with a prayer that once it was over, Link would be able to finally live for himself without the shadow of her concealing the path before him with misplaced feelings of guilt or shame. He’d been doing so well, but still had his moments of doubt and those times where his heart was so heavy all he could do was lay down to alleviate the weight of trying to carry it around. 

He still suffered from frequent headaches, to the point Remy had almost wanted to duct tape his glasses to his face before Zelda suggested they get him contacts. That had worked until he started sleeping in them and his eyes went red and Remy had to sit him down and explain rather firmly that he had to start putting effort into taking care of himself. He had almost teared up at the tone in Remy’s voice, but immediately apologized before disappearing completely for the rest of the night. He’d finally emerged the next morning, his glasses tucked securely on the bridge on his nose, his hair wet from a fresh shower as he walked cautiously down the stairs. That was when Remy realized the extent to which he had never been held accountable for taking care of himself and the reality he’d lived in where his wellbeing was considered insignificant. Now that they'd managed to make him feel safe, they began working on boosting his self esteem and his confidence, which seemed to be a much steeper hill to climb. 

It was because of that reason alone that when Remy spoke to Mrs. Bolson, who was Mara’s assigned caseworker, he insisted the meeting be held as soon as possible. He wasn’t sure if Link could withstand weeks of anticipation without sliding backwards, particularly if his reaction to waiting for court was any indication of how he was able to process that kind of stress. She’d hesitantly agreed to rush it, but not before arguing that Mara needed more time to prepare. Remy had made it clear that his only priority was Link and that if she couldn't work around what was best for him then she had to explain to Mara why she couldn't see him at all. She'd eventually picked a date that was only two days away, giving Link a shorter window with which to worry over and Mara a bit of time to wrap her mind around how she was going to approach him without the threat of court at their back. She encouraged him to allow them space for privacy, but he’d informed her that was not his choice to make. He was going to allow Link to choose if he wanted one or both of them to attend and agreed to have a therapist in the room as well, if only to curve Mara's more manipulative tendencies before they could cut him too deeply. The call had ended on a more civil note than their previous interaction, but it left him just as conflicted. He still wasn't sure if it was the right choice. 

As he sat tracing the patterns of the wood grain on his desk at work with Link and Zelda busy sorting piles of mail in the sitting room just outside, it occurred to him that Link would visit his therapist the day before the visit. He opened up his slate and hesitantly dialed the number, unsure of how to frame what he wanted to ask. Inside he was grasping for validation that he wasn't about to throw Link to the wolves. There weren't many people who were aware of Link's past that he could ask for assistance from so his options were limited. He stretched his neck back and forth with each ring of the line. 

“You’ve reached the office of Dr. Armes, how may I assist you this afternoon?” the man on the other end offered immediately upon answering the call. 

“This is Remy Hyrule, my daughter Zelda and my...well, my son Link are clients of yours,” he introduced himself.

“Ah, yes! My two favorite clients. I know we have Link scheduled for tomorrow afternoon as per our usual arrangement. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, they’re both doing fine. I just wanted to get your opinion on something..." he cleared his throat, shifting in his chair as he continued, "Link has made the decision to have visitation with his mother. He hasn’t seen her since court and they haven’t exactly had a very...productive history since he left her custody. I had hoped to delay this as much as possible, but it’s something he asked for.”

He could hear the sound of pen scribbling on paper in the background. Dr. Armes hummed softly to acknowledge he’d been listening intently before responding. 

“I see. Is this something you wish for us to speak about tomorrow?” 

Remy capped and uncapped the pen in his hand as he tried to work through exactly what it was he wanted from the man. He wasn't even sure what he would do if he vehemently insisted it was a terrible idea. He'd already promised Link and the date was set. There was no going back now. 

“If you think it would be beneficial,” he said shortly. 

“How has he been at home recently?” Dr. Armes asked instead of giving a direction response. Remy sat up straighter in his chair, giving it thought before answering. 

“Better. He’s more at ease now than when I first brought him home. He doesn’t seem to flinch as much and he’s more comfortable giving his opinion on things than he used to be. He used to blindly agree to whatever we said, but he’ll chime in more now. He still has difficulty sleeping most nights, even though he won’t admit it. Him and Zelda are a force to be reckoned with for sure. I’m convinced they will develop their own language next. I think they find a new reason to love each other more everyday, it's a little exhausting to watch to be honest,” he caught himself smiling as he pictured them together, even peeking out his office window to watch how they bumped shoulders while snickering over the names on the envelopes, no doubt making up ridiculous back stories for the people they'd never met. 

“The two of you are literally helping him to rewire his brain, did you know that?”

“Huh?” the comment caught Remy off guard. 

“We make connections in our brains based on our experiences that only grow stronger the more our environment and encounters with others validate our reactions. For Link, those connections had been geared towards safety. He learned what to do and what not to do in order to avoid physical punishment. He learned behaviors that helped him survive. There wasn’t much room for emotional growth there. But that’s different now. His entire world has been altered and his mind is now having to compensate for that, though this time it's in a good way. I’m sure you can see how it might be exhausting for him too.”

“And what happens to these new connections when he sees her again?” Remy asked cautiously, trying desperately to keep the tone of his own opinion out of it. 

“Mr. Hyrule, I’ve seen many children over the span of my career. Though Link’s case is certainly the most extreme, it's not the first time I’ve helped a child walk through the aftermath of abuse. To be completely honest with you, when I saw his chart for the first time I braced for the worst. Most of the time, kids in his shoes end up incarcerated or in some type of behavior program.”

“What are you saying?” Remy asked, offended at what he was insinuating. 

“I’m saying that he has consistently defied every expectation we would have for a young man in his shoes. Many in his same situation are so emotionally unregulated and vulnerable that they lash out at the world and land themselves in trouble. But Link has not. His ability to maintain his composure is frankly astounding to me. The relationships he’s formed with you and particularly with Zelda are so unlikely given his social history, but here he is maintaining them. Given all that he’s been through, he’s somehow managed to come out of it as the kindhearted, loving boy you bring to me twice a week.”

Remy let the slate sit in silence as his mouth failed to form an adequate response. 

“In short, he is a resilient young man. He’s lived through years of abuse, an attempt on his life at the hands of his father, and a complete upheaval of everything he’s ever known. I can’t say whether this meeting will be beneficial for him or not, but what I can say with confidence is that he will come out of it intact. Thanks in part to his own strength and those new connections he’s built with your help. Have some faith in him, Mr. Hyrule. He'll be okay.”

“I just don’t want to be one more failed parent in his life,” Remy managed to string together, finally finding the words to convey his own anxieties, “I don’t want to allow him to do something that will end up hurting him. I’ve never done this before. I honestly have no idea what I’m doing,” he said, dropping his forehead to rest on his knuckles as he propped his head up on his desk with a bent arm. 

“Don’t you though?” Dr. Armes offered, “Because to me, I see you as a very successful parental influence in his life. You don’t have to shelter him in order to keep him safe. I think both you and I realize he’s beyond that now. He's built coping mechanisms. He has a support system. Let him use them. Let's see how it goes.”

“Thank you,” Remy said awkwardly, unsure of how else to respond, but feeling a small weight lifted from his chest. 

“Thank you for calling, it was a pleasure. I suppose I will see the two of you tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

He didn’t get enough time to process the onslaught of information he’d just received before Zelda burst through his office door with Link hot on her heels. 

“Can the girls come over tonight? They want a rematch on Kilton’s Monster Carts with Link. They’re still salty that he picked it up so fast last time.”

“It’s not my fault! You taught me!” he laughed behind her. 

She turned to quip with him further while Remy just observed them. Here they stood in his office, mere months after he held Link’s lifeless body as he bled out on that old kitchen floor, now with a smile on his face as he twisted his body to avoid a playful blow from Zelda as they argued over a video game. They were the quintessential picture of two young people in love, both of them trying to hide the laughter in their voices as they bantered back and forth as if they’d known each other a lifetime already. 

He considered where Link would have been last year at that same time. Was he nursing another wound inflicted by the very man he should have been seeking comfort from? Was his mother leading him along on some emotional game of cat and mouse that he was destined to lose? Had he been sick? Hungry? But the question that bothered him the most was the one that repeated itself over and over in his mind as he watched Link shift to avoid another one of Zelda’s playful jabs at his good side, ever conscious of the pain that still lingered on the left side of his ribs. Had anyone cared about him then? Or had he been completely ignored? To think of where he had been and to observe him as he was now was remarkable. He had never truly stopped to appreciate how hard earned those precious moments of peace truly were in Link’s life. 

“Dad? Hello?”

“Oh,” he coughed through the emotion building in his throat, “Yeah, sure. Are you cooking dinner again, Link? That pasta was delicious,” he let out a long breath, hoping they would both be too busy ogling each other and miss how much he was blundering through their conversation. 

Link’s face twitched as it did when he was nervous or whenever someone dared to commend him for something he’d done. It was obvious to Remy how unaccustomed he still was to being spoken of in a positive light. He was used to Zelda’s constant stream of compliments and sweet nothings by now, but the moment anyone else chimed in he would get flustered and automatically look for reasons why it couldn’t be true. Gleaning what little information he could from the stories Link had told him or what Zelda had offered for context when Remy just couldn’t comprehend why he’d reacted to something a certain way, he had realized just how little thought his parents had put into raising him, if any. It certainly didn’t make taking him to see his mother easier, but it did help to translate Link’s behavior at times. 

“No, then you’ll be in the kitchen all night,” Zelda complained as she pulled on his forearm like a child, “Can we just order pizza or something?”

“You want to flaunt him around, do you?” Remy asked, a brow quirked as a smile now danced on his lips. If anything could help him to reach through the haze of his emotions it was pushing Zelda’s buttons. 

“I do not!” she immediately threw at him, hands on her hips. 

“Are you done with your homework at least?” Remy asked, content that he’d ruffled her feathers just enough to bring himself a small sliver of enjoyment. 

“Yes”

“No,” they answered simultaneously. 

Zelda spun on Link and he threw his hands up in a placating gesture as he sputtered, “But I’m not!”

“Link is my favorite child now, you may leave my office,” Remy said with his most studious voice, although a grin, “Also, that’s fine. Just don’t forget to finish your work first.”

“Thank you,” Link said as Zelda pushed him out the door, already whipping her slate out to text her friends. 

“You’re welcome,” Remy sighed, feeling oddly relieved as they left, wondering just how they'd all gotten to where they were but thankful they’d managed to find a way to do it together. 

* * *

Remy decided to stay late to catch up on work at the office, leaving the small group to congregate around Zelda’s living room as they all raced one another on the virtual track. Link sat with his legs crossed, Zelda leaning comfortably into his side with her feet tucked under her. 

“Are you kidding me?” Riju shouted as her cart was thrown into the air, knocking her out of her tumultuous turn at being in first place, only to be replaced by Link’s cart as he flew by for yet another round. 

“Damn, he’s ruthless! He doesn’t even let Zelda win!” Mipha laughed as her cart rolled off the track and into the digital waters, only to be lifted up by the imaginary track workers to be placed back on the playing zone. 

“It’s easier to help her lose than help her win at this point,” he added as he passed her for a third time when she somehow ended up going backwards after taking a tail spin due to a strategic banana peel Paya had left in her wake. 

All the girls came unglued and he let himself laugh with them, finding the atmosphere they brought with them easy for once. He was grateful for the distraction, but he also simply enjoyed their company, particularly when he felt his safest at home and at Zelda’s side. He was relaxed, allowing himself to chime into conversation, which was not lost on Zelda. Rather than admonish him for his comment, all she could do was admire the person he was becoming right in front of her. 

“You know what?” Riju chimed in as they changed tracks and their attentions weren’t so focused on the screen, “Grante would have _never_ hung out with us like this.”

“Really?” Link asked as he moved his joystick around until he found a cart that was visually appealing to him, not bothering to read whatever statistics on its speed came up on the bottom. 

“Hell no, he’d tell me it was ‘chick shit,’”she scoffed as she sighed and leaned back into the couch, “He only ever wanted to hang out with me alone so we could, uh…”

“Oh, don’t act like you’re embarrassed of it now,” Mipha said when she noticed the hesitation in her voice, “Paya and I almost made you a shirt that said ‘I Slept with Grante’ like 2 weeks ago. You wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“We were going to bedazzle it too,” Paya added with a smirk.

“Yeah, whatever,” she waved her hand at them, knowing they were right but refusing to comment on it, “I’ve sworn off men forever. All men are trash.”

She side-eyed Paya with a playful smirk before turning back to the screen. Link could hear Paya giggling under her breath before picking up her own controller to customize her character before they started another race. 

“Except for Link,” Zelda threw in, just to clarify her position on matters. 

“Oh my Goddesses, Zelda, _please,_ you’re going to blind me,” Mipha groaned when she turned to look at Zelda after her comment. 

“What?!” 

“The way you’re sitting there all googly eyed looking at him! It’s going to melt my eyes! Get a room and we’ll make you a shirt next!” 

Both Riju and Paya collapsed into one another as they worked through their laughter while Link fought the deep wave of crimson that rushed up his neck and flooded into his cheeks. Zelda similarly attempted to mold herself into his side profile so that they couldn’t see her face, which was no doubt sporting a complimentary shade of pink.

“You guys wanna play this track? I think it’s easier,” Link tried, swallowing his embarrassment, hoping he could shift the conversation into a topic that wasn't so awkward for him. 

“Oh look he’s going easy on us now,” Riju teased when she noticed how flustered they both were. She knew Zelda better than to continue pushing it. As confident as she appeared, they all knew she was the most private about her personal life and particularly when it came to Link. None of them knew the full story of how he’d come to live with her and they’d decided not to ask until they were ready to share. It didn’t take much to realize that something drastic had happened and they had all picked up on Link’s sometimes awkward social tendencies, but he fit in so well with Zelda’s quirks that they just came to accept them as a pair from that point on. If Zelda was happy, they were happy too. 

“Quite the gentleman,” Paya added onto Riju’s comment, which earned her another look from Riju that left them both grinning. 

They talked and played for several more hours, eventually ending up pulling up the movie Ganon’s Return at Riju’s insistence after learning that Link had never seen it. Zelda cozied up to Link after dimming the lights, throwing a blanket over both of them so she could hold his hand firmly in her lap without the girls noticing and teasing her for it. Eventually her head found its way to his shoulder and she felt him stagger for breath a few times in an attempt not to fall asleep. After they watched the triumphant hero hold up Ganon’s piked head to a rowdy crowed of cheering Hyrule commonfolk, Mipha stood and stretched, looking down at her slate for the time. 

“Well, I’ve gotta run. I have practice in the morning.”

“You always have practice,” Riju complained, “We could watch Ganon’s Return Two where they rehydrate him and the hero gets his arm-”

“Don’t spoil it!” Paya whacked her with a pillow before she could finish her sentence. 

“Will you tell Zelda bye for me?” Mipha asked after eyeing Riju and Paya for a moment while they giggled and seemed to forget anyone else was there. 

“Huh?” 

Mipha grinned at his obliviousness, pointing to Zelda who was fast asleep on his shoulder, her hair hanging in front of her face in long, blond curtains. 

“Oh,” he blushed at the sight of her clinging to him. The feeling of her weight on him was so natural at that point he’d hardly noticed. 

“I can’t with you two,” Mipha laughed through a breath before turning towards the door, “Bye guys!”

“Guess I’ll message my grandma,” Paya said, pulling out her slate. 

“Hey, I’ll give you a ride,” Riju said quickly before she could open her messages.

“Awesome, thanks,” Paya answer softly, standing and following Riju out the door as they waved to Link. 

When the door finally clicked closed, the sounds of the empty house crept into his ears. He sat for a moment and just listened to the gentle hum of the air conditioner and the sound of Zelda’s fan churning air inside her room upstairs. He stretched his back to get more comfortable and she slipped further on top of him until the best thing he could do was lay down completely with her nuzzled into his chest. When they both settled, he draped his arm over her and closed his own eyes, though he was determined to stay awake.

For once, his heart did not race. His mind did not pull up the familiar script which plotted out his every flaw and failure to him in meticulous detail. He did not think about his father behind metal bars, he did not think about his mother in an unfamiliar room surrounded by doctors and therapists while they tried to puzzle out why she never found that maternal instinct that seemed to come so easily to others. He didn’t write the scripts for those conversations in his mind, nor image himself reacting to them. He just lay there in the serene quiet that was both the house and his heart and forced himself to stay awake just to observe the oddness and serenity of it. 

Remy found them later, with Link having lost his battle at some point, his arm limp as it lay resting on Zelda’s back. His first reaction was to wake them both and send to them to their respective bedrooms, but in the end, he covered them with a heavy blanket, kissed Zelda softly on the head, and took himself to bed. 

"He'll be okay," he muttered to himself as he pulled off his sweatshirt and got ready for bed himself, "We'll all be okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the past several days I've been operating on one brain cell. Just the one. I don't know how I get from place to place, to be honest. But I saw the light and finished a chapter!  
> I hope you enjoy! We will be seeing Mara next, just needed some more fluff with some added uncertainty to get us there. 
> 
> For a small anecdote, in class I'm teaching the littles about how an author can convey feelings with words and they said, "you can't make me cry with just words" and I was like..."YOU DON'T KNOW THE REAL ME" but I simply smiled and continued the lesson because I'm professional.  
> Sometimes wearing that teacher mask is exhausting. They need to add that to Majora's Mask and have your special power be taking power naps and crying in secret.


	43. Chapter 43

Remy heard them laughing together the Saturday morning they were scheduled to visit the facility where Mara had been mandated to live until she was deemed ready for release. He had half expected to wake up that morning to find Link beside himself, similar to how he was the morning before court. But instead, he found him fully dressed in the kitchen, chuckling as Zelda swiped pancake batter onto his cheek. 

“You are insane!” Zelda giggled, oblivious to the watchful eyes in the doorway, “Pancake batter is not as good as cake batter!”

“I didn’t say that!” Link waved a wooden spoon at her with a huge grin on his face, flinging more of the mixture in her direction, “I just said I like the taste of it!”

“It tastes like flour!” Zelda said as she knocked him with her hips, making a face when she noticed the thick glob he’d flung on her cheek. 

He leaned forward and kissed her there, all the while keeping a steady eye on the bubbling cakes in the pan before him.

“Now it tastes like you,” he said into her ear, but loud enough that Remy could hear it. 

“ _Goooood_ morning!” Remy’s voice boomed before he could see Zelda’s reaction, unwilling to observe wherever that particular exchange was heading. 

Link nearly choked on his own spit, his hands scrambling so fast back to his innocent task of pancake making that he almost caught his sleeve on fire. His face was as red as the heat of the burner and Zelda too sported her own complementary shade of embarrassment as her father eyed them with his hands on his hips from across the island bar. 

“What’s for breakfast?” he asked innocently, quietly savoring their awkwardness. 

“Pancakes,” Zelda answered tensely for Link, realizing his vocal chords had stopped working the moment he started to hyper-fixate on the task before him instead of facing the reality of the situation behind him. 

“Marvelous. What do we have until we need to leave? Three hours? I may get some work in by then. Impa has been sending me a barrage of emails. Apparently some older slates didn’t get the update automatically and we are going to have to send out another round,” he said, watching as both Link and Zelda’s shoulders loosened at his words, apparently convinced he hadn’t seen their little moment. He was going to let them off easy this time, if only because of the mystery the day still held. He didn’t know what version of Link he’d be driving home from that facility and he certainly didn’t want to have any part in causing him more stress. 

Link turned, serving him the first stack of pancakes with a worried look across his face. 

“If you’re busy you don’t have to come.”

Remy took a deep inhale, coating the inside of his nose with the sticky scent of the sweet confection before lifting the entire first layer up towards his mouth to take a bite. 

“Work can wait. I want to be there for you.”

Link gave him what Remy had now come to recognize as his silent version of “thank you” with the slight nod of his head and a subtle upturn of the corners of his lips as he returned his attention to fixing Zelda’s plate, which he topped with a generous scoop of what looked like blackberry jam. 

Their eyes met the moment both of their hands clutched either side of the plate. The way they held each other's gaze was so soft and so tender Remy almost felt as if he were intruding on something private. 

“Thank you,” Zelda said gently as she took it the rest of the way from his hands and turned to sit beside her father. 

“Are you not eating?” Remy asked, noticing that Link had started to clean up rather than fix his own plate. 

“I’m not hungry,” he answered softly with his back turned, sliding the pan into a sink full of sudsy water. 

Zelda tapped her fork on Remy’s arm, getting his attention before lightly shaking her head and mouthing “ _He’s nervous”_ so that Link wouldn’t hear her. He’d promised her a hundred times he was fine, but she knew him well enough to see it in his body language and his behavior. His appetite was always the first to go, followed by his ability to keep still. He’d been moving all morning, between tidying up his room to picking out his clothes to straightening the pictures on the stairwell before Zelda had suggested cooking something for breakfast. He’d seemed soothed by the repetitive motions of measuring out the batter, giving his brain something else to focus on. He'd only finally loosened up enough to joke with her before Remy had interrupted them. 

“Well thank you for cooking and cleaning up. Zelda would never,” Remy said, catching Zelda’s hint not to push him on it and deciding instead to lighten the mood.

“I cook sometimes,” she scoffed more for show than anything else, thanking him with a flutter of her eyes as she took a bite of her breakfast, “Ugh, Link this is delicious. We have to start jogging again though. I can’t eat like this everyday.”

Link sighed and turned around, drying his hands with a towel as he looked down at himself.

“Yeah...my jeans are a little tight now.”

It took Zelda and Remy a half second before they dissolved into laughter and Link hesitantly joined before sighing again and looking out the window, his eyes betraying where his mind really was. Zelda could see the heaviness in his chest as he felt the ridges in the towel in his hands, watching as the birds went about their morning routines just beyond the cool of the glass before him. Zelda stood from where she had been sitting and walked up to stand behind him with his back still facing her. 

“Cross your arms,” she said, tapping him on the shoulder. 

He glanced at her without turning completely around, but did as she’d asked, crossing his arms across his chest, letting his hands grip his opposite forearms. She wrapped her own arms around his and started a gentle rhythm with her hands patting him back and forth on his arms like one might pat a baby.

“What on earth are you two doing?” Remy asked, having watched the entire exchange while dangling a bite of pancake on his fork. The soggy piece of cake slid further and further down the prongs as Link leaned back into her embrace and closed his eyes, seemingly calmed by it. 

“I learned it at therapy.”

Link’s eyes shot open and she momentarily stilled her movements when she noticed how stiff he was.

“He didn’t do this to _me!”_ she clarified for him before he could even voice it, “He said it was a self soothing thing, but I figured it would work like this too. Do you feel calmer now?”

“I feel like you’re trying to put me to sleep.”

“So yes?”

Remy shook his head and walked his plate to the sink. Zelda had grown comfortable with her head on Link’s back, her face shifting as if she was trying to discern something. 

“You’re wheezing,” she finally stated after pushing her ear closer into him, letting go to spin him around before putting a hand on his forehead, “Are you sick?”

“You always think I’m sick,” he said as he guided her hand back down, “I’m fine.”

Remy looked him over with a critical eye. He wasn’t pale or flushed. He had shadows under his eyes, but nothing more pronounced than the usual darkness that was there. He looked perpetually tired no matter how much he slept and they’d just come to accept it as part of his norm. He didn’t appear unwell and he hadn’t acted any differently the past few days other than the expected anxiety, but his mind went back to the day he’d been discharged and the doctor’s warnings that his lungs weren’t quite operating at full efficiency and likely never would due to the scar tissue that would form from his stab wounds. He narrowed his eyes while Link seemed to shrink under the scrutiny of both of them staring at him. 

“You sure? I can whip out that pulse oximeter we got again just to be sure your lungs aren’t bothering you,” Remy said. 

“I feel fine,” he tried to reassure them, “I promise. I don’t feel whatever you’re hearing. I’m okay.”

Remy accepted it faster than Zelda did. He simply nodded his head before brushing past them to get dressed with the thought of keeping a closer eye on him throughout the day just to be sure. But Zelda didn’t move. She put a hand on his chest with a thoughtful look on her face, watching as it gently lifted up and down with the consistency of his breathing. 

“I promise,” he repeated for her, putting his own hand on top of hers, “I’ll be okay.”

She looked up at him just as he leaned forward to give her a gentle kiss. Her movements caused him to miscalculate where he was headed and he ended up kissing her just off to the side of her mouth instead, causing him to shy away with a nervous chuckle. She grabbed his face, unwilling to leave it at that and fixed it for him, kissing him softly on his chapped lips before brushing his hair out of his face with her long fingers. 

“Are you taking the invitation I made you?” she asked quietly, their faces just a breath apart. 

“No,” he breathed, “I don’t want her to show up if I don’t end up graduating.”

Zelda wasn’t so sure she would even show up at all, but to him that wasn’t a reality he could accept yet. When Zelda had mailed out her own invitations and walked him through the small list of extended family that would likely show up, he’d mentioned that maybe she could meet them if she came. Both her and Remy had agreed to introduce everyone to her in the event that she did show up and he’d seemed at peace with that, almost as if the thought of his two worlds coming together in that way would bridge the gap in his heart. 

“Don’t say that, you’ll get there. You’re doing so good. You did better on that history exam than I did.”

“I like history. It’s just math and...science and...English and...everything else I’m not good at.”

She let go of him and plopped her hands on her hips as she looked him over. He looked nice in his jeans and light sweater, his dark framed glasses making his eyes look bigger and bluer than usual. His face as well as his waist had rounded out since the first time they’d met, likely from having a steady access to food and being able to buy or cook whatever he wanted. He’d been fairly thin before, but now that he was filled out it was hard for her not to want to squeeze into him at every possible moment just to feel the way they squished so perfectly together. She wondered if his mother would even recognize him now. 

“Are you ready?” she asked him. 

“I guess,” he responded with as much confidence he could muster. 

* * *

The facility where Mara was staying was fairly new in design and in concept. It was meant as a place where adults with mental illnesses that otherwise had no support system or ability to live independently could come to receive treatment and counselling. Some were there on private pay while others, like Mara, were court mandated, having landed there instead of in a jail cell. It was built almost like a gated college campus, but with small apartment complexes instead of school buildings. Numerous therapists and doctors offices peppered the campus that was built in a semicircle around a small man made pond right at its center. The front office was located just off the road behind a large metal gate. A man behind the gate buzzed Remy’s vehicle through and the three of them navigated the parking lot before eventually making their way into the office itself.

“Let me call Mrs. Bolson and let her know you are here,” the front office woman said when Remy introduced himself. 

Link walked anxiously around the small room, running his hands along every surface, picking up every brochure and looking out every window while they waited. Remy stood still as a statue and watched the clock while Zelda’s eyes followed Link’s every movement. When the receptionist cleared her throat, Link made a beeline back to her desk and took his place standing between her and Remy while they waited on their instructions. 

“I’m sorry, but Mrs. Faron has requested no visitors today.”

Link’s previous fidgeting came to an immediate stop, replaced by a quiet acceptance of defeat that seemed to come so naturally to him that Zelda realized it was an outcome he likely had expected but never voiced. Her heart ached for him as he nodded and looked down at his own feet. She thought about all the times in the past she’d pushed him away just like that and left him on his own to sort through the pain it left behind. This was nothing that was new to him. 

“No, that is not acceptable. This was an arranged meeting. Call her again,” Remy said rather forcefully, the woman backing up slightly in her rolling chair as he loomed over her desk. He was well aware of how intimidating his size was and he wielded it effectively when he needed to. 

She called again, this time offering another explanation, “She said she had group meetings today that she is unwilling to miss. She asked for you to come back another time.”

“No, we are here now. I set up this time up in advance, there is no reason why she can’t see him.”

“Mr. Hyrule, I apologize but that is the best I can do,” the woman said as she sat the desk phone down with a click and resumed her office work. 

“Then I’ll take care of it myself,” he grumbled, pulling out his slate and ringing Mrs. Bolson’s number over and over. 

While he argued on the line with Mara’s caseworker, Zelda sat beside Link on the hard office bench as he sat with his hands dangling between his knees and his face cast down to the floor, his features hidden behind his hair. She leaned on him slightly and put a hand on his upper thigh, using her thumb to trace a soft line back and forth in a comforting motion. They stayed there, silently consoling one another until Remy marched up to them with a low growl as he shoved his slate back in his jacket pocket. 

“She’s on her way,” he said shortly, looking down at the two of them. The sight of them instantly cooled the fire that ignited the moment they were first turned away. He steadied himself and took a deep breath before sitting down beside them, giving Link an encouraging pat on the back as he did so. 

It took Mrs. Bolson fifteen minutes to reach the office. She pushed through the glass door looking flustered and out of breath, smoothing her hair as she approached them. 

“I’m so sorry for the inconvenience, I think she assumed it was on another day. We can always work around family visits, she knows that. She’s...well, she’s in her room. I’ll take you to her.”

On the short walk across the open space, Mrs. Bolson explained the ups and downs of Mara’s treatment. She apparently did either very well or actively refused help, none of which surprised Link. She was currently somewhere in between, and she warned that she had been declining her mood stabilizing medication and encouraged them to be gentle. Remy’s face remained hard throughout the whole conversation and he offered little in response. Zelda simply kept Link’s hand firmly in her own, determined to be a physical reminder of peace for him at every step. 

“Okay, we’re here. I’ll see if she’s ready,” Mrs. Bolson huffed as she regained her breath from the brisk walk. She knocked on the door and called out, “Mara! I have Link, Mr. Hyrule and his daughter here to visit with you. May we come in?”

“Just Link,” a voice came from beyond the door. 

“Mara, now, we talked about this. Come, open the door,” Mrs. Bolson said patiently. 

The door cracked open to reveal Mara, her hair disheveled as it lay in a bush across her head. She tightened the belt of her robe as she squinted at the daylight that assaulted her glazed eyes while she tried to discern who was who in the mass of back lit silhouettes she saw outside her door. 

“Hi, Mom,” Link said with a soft voice as he prepared himself for what both seeing and hearing her would drudge up in his memories. 

She scanned the group before her eyes finally settled on him. She looked at him only briefly before licking her lips and repeating her earlier request to Mrs. Bolson. 

“I feel more comfortable with just my son.”

“If you’d like to see him, he has brought guests. It’s perfectly acceptable to have outside visitors as well,” Mrs. Bolson tried again. 

“But it’s a family visit. They aren’t family,” Mara argued, looking only at the woman before her. 

“They’re my family too. I asked them to come,” Link spoke up. 

Zelda squeezed his hand and Remy grinned at his newfound confidence. Mara simply swallowed hard and opened the door the rest of the way, inviting them inside her small space. 

They settled awkwardly on the little furniture she had. Remy, Zelda, and Link squeezed together on the small sofa while Mara sat on a chair just across from a squatty coffee table with peeling blue paint on its edges that was wedged between them. Mrs. Bolson opted to stand just by the front door in order to step in for Mara if needed. 

Mara was openly uncomfortable with having so many people in her space. She sat with her legs tightly crossed, a slight bounce to one as she seemed to fight with herself on who to settle her gaze at. 

“Well, you look nice. Your hair has gotten long. Are they buying you new clothes?” she finally asked when the silence felt too suffocating. 

“Yeah,” Link responded simply, his own carefully controlled anxiety welling up despite every measure he had taken to ensure it didn’t overwhelm him. Zelda could see him consciously controlling his own breathing as he worried his bottom lip with his teeth. 

“I um...I might get to graduate soon. From school I mean.”

She hummed in response, looking slightly off to the side. The way they both seemed unable to meet each other’s gaze was so bizarre for Remy to watch. Their relationship was a far cry from the banter and projectile throwing that he and Zelda shared. He could almost see the battle raging on Link’s face as he tried to think of things that would get her to talk to him. 

“Cyril said the school told him you wouldn’t graduate. That you had to be in a special program or something he didn’t want to pay for. He said you had a um...a learning disability. But you get to graduate now?”

He winced at his father’s name and shifted in his seat. He’d heard that same story too. But it was only ever from his father and never from anyone at school. He’d realized now that his father was lying just to hurt him. But it didn’t make the sting of her words any less as they ripped across his heart. 

“He does not have a learning disability, Mrs. Faron,” Remy chimed in, clearly agitated, “I’ve spoken to the school multiple times. He’s getting all the help he needs now and his grades have been improving. He will walk right alongside Zelda this spring. I have no doubt.”

“Oh, I see,” she replied, her eyes falling on Link again, “That’s great.”

Link tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. 

“You should show her the paintings you did. I have pictures of them on my slate if you don’t,” Zelda offered when she could see him struggling with what to say next. 

“You can paint?” Mara seemed genuinely surprised. 

“Yeah,” Link said, more confidently this time, standing up to shimmy around the small table. He tilted the screen so that she could see the murals he had done both at Remy’s office and the one he’d been hired to make. 

“Are these the pictures you looked off of?” she seemed confused as she looked down at the screen. 

“No, I made those.” 

Her mouth fell slightly open as she swiped back and forth between the pictures. When her hand bumped the screen again, it swiped one photo too far, pulling up an image of Link and Zelda grinning as Zelda held out the slate to capture both of them snuggled together with their hoods up while the wind tangled their hair and brushed their cheeks pink. Link remembered that day. It had been a particularly good one and Zelda had taken advantage of his good mood by taking him downtown where they had tried a sample at every food truck they could find. He caught himself grinning slightly as he looked down at it. Mara traced the outline of his face, her finger settling on his smile before handing it back to him. He awkwardly maneuvered back to sit beside Zelda as Mara chewed on her cheek. 

“I didn’t know you could paint,” her voice came out strained, “You used to draw all the time, but I thought all kids did that. You got in trouble for drawing on our bill envelopes all the time.”

“Oh, yeah. I just never had paint at home,” Link said, sensing her distress but not knowing what to do with it, “But I like it. I got paid to paint the second one. It's in a little boy’s bedroom. His name was Link too,” the words seemed to come easier to him the more he talked. His memories of after the stabbing were much more accessible to him and a world less painful to recall than the ones from before. He could talk about his art or Zelda for hours, it was just his childhood or his family that were difficult subjects for him and the center point of both was currently sitting before him, fighting back tears as her eyes landed on Zelda’s hand that was firmly wrapped around his in his lap. 

“I didn’t recognize you in that picture,” she choked out, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. 

“What picture?” he asked quickly before he remembered the one she’d scrolled to, “Oh, yeah. That was last week, I think. We were downtown. Did you know there is a library there? It’s a lot bigger than the one by our house. I remember you like to read.”

As he spoke, she closed her eyes, more tears following their predecessors as she stopped trying to block the flow. 

“What’s wrong?” Link asked, suddenly alarmed at her change, “What did I do?”

Remy felt his heart constrict. _What did I do?_ He could almost see younger Link’s little face asking the same question a hundred times over because he’d been led to believe her emotions were directly tied to his behavior. He looked beside him to see Link’s worried expression as he watched her wipe her tears. He had to fight himself from intervening, realizing this was likely the first time they’d ever had an opportunity to speak to one another freely without his father's influence looming over them. 

“I don’t even really know you, do I?” she cried as she pulled her legs up in her chair, “The other mothers here, they talk about their kids all the time and they ask me about you but I never really know what to say.”

“Oh,” was all Link could say before adding, “I’m sorry,” letting his own line of sight fall to the ground between them. 

“Link-” Remy started to scold him for apologizing for something that wasn’t his fault but the look Zelda cut him froze the words before they could leave his lips. 

“Every time I think about you, I just think about the horrible things that happened,” Mara continued, ignoring everyone else in the room, “I just remember you crying in your room. Or getting frustrated at you for making messes. Or all the times,” she sucked in a hard breath, “All the times he hurt you. Like when he broke your arm. I can’t share those things with them.”

Link looked down at his arm, the same one Zelda had pointed out to him as being crooked not long before. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what break she was talking about. He’d broken it more than once. 

“Do you remember why his arm is crooked?” Zelda spoke up again, “He said he didn’t know”

Mara rose from her chair and walked over to where they were sitting. She sat gingerly on the short table between them as Link held out his arm. She took it gingerly, closing her eyes as she remembered. 

“You were very little. I’m not sure how old you were. Maybe four or five. You had wanted to come sleep in bed with me because you were scared. It was storming that night. You’re scared of storms,” she opened her eyes to meet his, a question there she didn’t ask. He just nodded, confirming that she did remember that about him at least. She briefly smiled before looking back down at his arm, tracing the slight curve at his elbow as she went on. 

“Cyril never let you sleep in there, but you were so insistent. I guess you had been reaching out for me when he slammed the door and it caught your arm. He shut it before I could see, but I heard you screaming out in the hall. He told me you were just being dramatic and to ignore you, that you would go to sleep. But you didn’t. You cried and cried outside the door until eventually he got up again. It was quiet when he got back.”

Remy buried his face in his fist as his own leg began to bounce up and down, an attempt to vent the rising heat within him. Zelda started to lightly cry, but Link made no movement. 

“The next morning, I found you in your bed. You used to suck your thumb. I tried to get you to stop, but you did it anyway. You had your thumb in your mouth and your eyes were so swollen and your face so blotchy. I could tell you’d cried for a long time after I’d gone to sleep even though he told me you didn't,” Mara went on through her own upset, sniffling as she recalled the memory in vivid detail, “I felt so guilty, but Cyril had told me you were just sleeping. He said you were fine.”

“But then I noticed your arm. It was so swollen. I called out to your Dad and he came in. He said we couldn’t take you to the hospital or they would call the police and start an investigation. He said he couldn’t trust you not to say anything and I knew he was right about that. He said he could fix it so he made me wake you up. I didn’t want to, but I had to. So I did it and you started crying again. He said you had to be quiet so he could think so he had me…” her face fell into her hands as she crumbled into herself, openly sobbing. 

“Mara?” Mrs. Bolson said, approaching gently, “It’s alright, breathe. It’s just a memory.”

She took in a few staggering breaths as Link simply watched. He had no memory of the event she was describing, only the dull ache of the pain in his bone as he relieved it through her story. When she finally caught her breath, Mrs. Bolson led her back to her chair, handing her a cup a water that she sipped before continuing. 

“He had me put a pair of your pants in your mouth. You wouldn’t let him do it, but you let me.”

Zelda choked out a cry as she fell into Link’s side, unable to process the images that were assaulting her mind. The thought of her manipulating his trust in that way was so vile that she felt her stomach start to lurch inside of her, almost pulling towards the door so she could escape and not have to hear where the rest of the story was headed. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Link said as he held her, “I’m okay now. I’m right here.”

Remy turned, watching as Link consoled her, running his hand up and down her back while Mara watched on blankly from across the room. 

“Mara, you were clear that you weren’t part of his physical abuse when we admitted you,” Mrs. Bolson said, alarmed at the turn in the story. 

“I only did what Cyril asked!” she wept, “He said he knew how to help you and that he needed my help to do it. So I held you in my lap. Even with the pants, you were still screaming. You didn’t want him to touch your arm, so I had to help him hold it. It took three tries because you were wiggling so much. After the second one, you went limp. He said that was normal.”

Mrs. Bolson looked openly horrified as she looked down at Mara who tried to explain herself further. 

“He used to be in the military! He said he used to set breaks all the time so I believed him. He said he could fix it easier after you lost consciousness. That way you wouldn’t feel the pain anymore. He taped it up nice and tight and I put you back to bed. You slept for an entire day. But then…” she soothed her own staggering breath for another time before continuing, “But then you stopped talking. You wouldn’t speak to either of us for weeks afterwards. You acted like you were scared to come out of your room. You wouldn’t even let me give you a bath. You’d cry and cry if I tried to touch you. It broke my heart and I just couldn’t understand. I was just trying to help you.”

“You traumatized him!” Remy finally shouted, “How is that difficult to understand?”

Link put all his energy into Zelda, holding her tight, whispering words of comfort into her ear that only she could hear. He’d lived that trauma. Although he didn’t remember that particular one, it was no different than the hundreds that would come later in his life. He knew he could never get rid of those memories. They were there, etched into his skin and his heart for eternity. But they hadn’t consumed him. They were only a part of who he was. They no longer had a hold on his future. That was what he wanted Zelda to understand. He could feel her gripping his arm in fear that he was still somehow in pain. That he was five years old again, gagged in his mother’s lap. 

“I’m okay,” he said again, “Please stop crying, I’m okay. That was a long time ago. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Mrs. Faron, I’m afraid that this new information will have to be looked over by our board of doctors before we can approve any subsequent visits. Mr. Hyrule, I’m so sorry. If I’d known…”

Remy stood abruptly, making Mara quiver in her chair before him. “There will be no more visits. Zelda, Link, let’s go.”

“But that’s all over now!” Mara cried, “I want to get to know you better! I know I’ve been a horrible mother, but I want to change! Please!” 

Link looked between them, his heart caught in an impossible place. No matter how horrible she’d been to him, no matter how many scars on his body were there because of her negligence or her refusal to stop it from happening, he still couldn’t bring himself to hate her. 

“You’re just sick mom,” he said shakily, finally feeling his own tears brimming at the edges of his eyes, “You should talk to your doctor. I go to therapy too. It’s not fun, but it’s helpful. You should let them help you. You have to be honest about everything. They can’t help you if you lie to them.”

“Link, don’t go yet! Please, it’s so lonely here,” she wept as Mrs. Bolson knelt down before her, trying to explain to her why they could no longer stay. 

Link stood and Zelda nearly pushed him out the door. He held his mother’s eyes until the door shut behind them and they stood in stunned silence. Remy took the initiative to wrap both of them in a hug that was so aggressive it nearly lifted them off the ground. 

“Link, I want you to listen carefully. I want you to know that we love you and that you deserve to be treated so much better than that. I understand that you still love her because she’s your mother, but she’s an ill woman and she needs to come to terms with what she’s done. I know I told you I would let you choose and have control over this, but I have to pull the father card here and say I can’t let you see her again for a while. Do you understand why I have to do this?”

He nodded more than once, his head bobbing as he looked at Zelda who was shaking her head as she wiped the last of her tears. 

“She wasn’t always like that,” he tried to explain, “I don’t even remember that. I don’t remember her ever hurting me like that. She’s just sick. She just needs to get help like I did.” 

Remy put a hand on his shoulder to quiet him. He looked like a much smaller boy in that moment, his words coming out as quick as his mind could form them, desperate for them not to give up on her like he knew they already had. 

“She's not like you, Link. You were innocent. She is not. But you don’t have to explain it to me. You don’t have to justify her actions anymore.”

“Maybe she’ll be better before graduation. Maybe she can still come,” he offered with a quiver in his voice, reaching out for Zelda’s hand again as he tried to build some semblance of hope from the shattered pieces she’d left inside his heart. 

Remy and Zelda shared a look, but it was Zelda who answered him, hoping to end the conversation on a better note than she knew her father would. 

“Look at how much better you’ve gotten in a few months. We have three more months between now and then. I bet she’ll be at least a little better by then. If she can’t come in person, we could even video chat her on the slate. That way she would still get to see you walk.”

“Okay,” he answered quickly, nodding as he latched onto her words, “Okay.”

Remy looked at her questioningly but she shook him off, sniffling as she took his hand and led him back to the car. She knew her father didn’t understand him like she did. She’d accepted that he would likely always carry a flame for her, even when he had to burn his own hands as he pushed together enough smoldering kindling to barely keep it lit. She was the only flickering light in the world that was otherwise plunged into darkness that he'd lived in for so long. It was a darkness that before she’d only had to try and imagine. Now, she had real images to hang there. Images that she wasn’t sure she could ever erase. But how many did Link see every night when he went to sleep? How many more stories like that were there that he kept to himself? Or worse, how many more were there that were so deep rooted in him that he could no longer decipher the detail, only feeling the pain they brought him? 

“We should get something for lunch,” Link offered once they all sat in the silence of the car, the sounds of the world around them shut out with the slam of the heavy metal door, “I didn’t eat breakfast. It’s not good to skip meals.”

Zelda smiled into his shoulder. He was so determined to get better. Even when life continually dragged him down, he just fought that much harder to climb back up. She could see that he was still softly crying, though he was trying to hide it from her. He wiped his face quickly before turning to her to ask her what she wanted to do, always conscious of her opinion, always willing to change on a dime to make life easier for her, even if it meant things being more difficult for him. He was such a giving person, despite never being given anything his whole life. She thought the world truly didn't deserve him. Mara didn't deserve him, yet he was determined to hang on to her anyway. Zelda hoped she realized just how lucky she was because of it. 

“That sounds good to me,” she approved of his suggestion just to ease him, earning a smile in return, “What about you Dad?”

Remy looked at them through the rearview, feeling a little bit like he’d just left a bar fight and psychiatric ward at the same time. He just shook his head and smoothed back his hair. 

“I need a drink.”

“That means I get to drive home!” Zelda’s reflection grinned at him. 

“It takes more than one drink to get me drunk enough not to drive, Zelda. I’m a big man,” he laughed, feeling more at ease now that they were back together in an environment he felt more in control of. 

“Dad! What happened to never drink and drive?!” she scolded him, “You’d ground me forever if I did that.”

“You’re right I would.”

Link closed his eyes and listened to them squabble all the way there, the sounds of it oddly soothing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is super long but there was nowhere to really break it up. Y'all thought I forgot about his crooked arm, didn't you?! There's a story for everything in my mind. Link is a little delusional about his mom, but it's not uncommon. I've based his hopeless idealized version of her on several real life stories and education I've received on children from trauma. Trauma bonding is serious business. 
> 
> Hope this chapter finds you well! I know I've slowed with my updates, but my brain health kind of goes up and down and sometimes I just need a depression nap instead of writing. Except today I got up from the depression nap and knocked this one out. I just never know what's going to happen lol


	44. Chapter 44

School didn’t allow either of them much time to process Link’s visit with Mara. As the school year crept closer to its eventual end, teachers were pushing out assessment after assessment in order to determine who would and would not be graduating at the end of the semester. Zelda’s grades were already set unless she absolutely bombed her finals, which she was unlikely to do. Link, on the other hand, was in limbo. He spent hours after school pouring over his work, even taking advantage of his inability to sleep at night by staying up and watching instructional videos in an attempt to teach himself everything he’d missed. He seemed to do well with the topics they had just recently covered, but the ones they learned during his hospital stay and around the time of his father’s court hearing caused such a strain on his mind that Zelda found him more than once squeezing his hair so tight she was worried he would pull it out from the roots. 

She was becoming more attentive to the coping strategies he’d seemed to come up with that she now realized were more akin to self harm than anything that would be considered helpful. It had bothered her at first until she realized that he was likely using everything he could to cover the turmoil she knew he was suppressing from having seen his mom, even though he wouldn’t admit to it. He squeezed his arms, often leaving indentations from his nails. He bit his lips with the same roughness, pulled at his hair. He would also skip meals, even when she reminded him of his own words that it wasn’t good for him. 

“I promise I’ll eat later,” he’d say, though he usually wouldn’t. 

He had this blind determination to raise his grades that had become almost an obsession. She wasn’t sure who he was trying to prove wrong at this point, his father or himself, but he was working himself into such a state that she barely got to enjoy him anymore. When he wasn’t studying, he was sleeping, and when he wasn’t sleeping he was stuck in that in between place in his mind he retreated to when things overwhelmed him. Because he still didn’t sleep well at night, he would fall asleep at school, in the car, at the office, everywhere except his own bed. On the nights Zelda would sneak in to lay beside him, he seemed to fall asleep fairly easily but woke long before the sunrise, often jerking awake or sitting up with a gasp, clutching some part of his body like he was experiencing a phantom pain. After that, he usually left to sit downstairs or on the back deck. Some nights she went with him, but others she pretended to stay asleep just to see what he did when he thought no one was looking. Sometimes he just sat there and stared, but others he lay back down beside her and whispered affirmations to himself that he was safe or that she wasn’t going to leave him. On those particular nights, she found it incredibly difficult to lay still while he tortured himself with his own thoughts. She often pretended to shift in her sleep, turning over to nuzzle into him, pressing herself closer so that she could hear the steady rhythm of his heart, which increased its tempo with each additional inch of her she covered him with. He would hold her back just as warmly, his breathing eventually evening out once again, though he’d always be gone before her in the mornings. Even Remy was growing concerned, to the point he forced Link back to the doctor yet again, leaving with a new prescription to help him sleep. 

Link sat at the kitchen bar holding the new bottle in his hand looking crestfallen as he listened to the pressed powder pills bump against one another in their little plastic container. It would join his other two that he still begrudgingly took daily at everyone’s insistence that they were helping him to get better. He was still against it, but he’d come to realize that he simply couldn’t do it on his own. The addition of another pill for another area of his life that he’d lost control of only served to cut him down even deeper, especially since he’d thought he’d been doing so well. He had been participating in therapy, taking his medications, working hard to improve himself and express himself more at home and school. Yet here he was with yet another pill. Just like his mother. 

“It will make you feel better to actually get a restful sleep,” Zelda said when she noticed the sour look on his face. 

“You don’t have to take medicine to sleep.”

“No, but other people do,” she replied, watching the creases on his forehead grow deeper the more he glared at the bottle in his hand. 

“You don’t have to take these either,” he held up the other bottles, “I just want to be normal.”

“You are normal. You just need a little help, that’s all,” she offered, but it seemed to backfire as he grimaced and he bit down hard on his lip. 

“I don’t want help, I want to be able to do it on my own!” he shouted, more at himself than at her, as he slammed the pill bottles back down, his chest puffing up as his breathing escalated. 

“Stop biting your lip!” she shouted right back at him, ignoring his outburst when she saw the tight clench of his jaw. His head turned sharply in her direction, immediately regretting what he’d just said. She’d never raised her voice in that way to him before and it showed in the roundness of his eyes as they widened at her frustrated expression.

“Stop it! You hurt yourself all the time and it drives me crazy. Look! You’re bleeding!” she reached forward and swiped the small trickle of blood that had oozed from the slit now on his lower lip from where his tooth had slightly pushed through. She pulled back her hand and showed him the evidence. He was quick to lick away the rest and wipe his hand across his mouth as if it would erase her memory of what’d she’d just seen. He hadn’t felt it. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, but she wasn’t content with his halfhearted apology that she knew would end with him locking himself in his room for hours afterwards while he silenced his own thoughts by flooding his mind with information for school. 

She missed him. She wanted to see him smile again or hear the slow build of his laughter. She wanted to see his eyes crinkle at a bad joke. She wanted him to sass back at her or excitedly ask her a 1,000 questions like he did when he got excited about something. She just wanted him to exhibit any signs of life at all. He’d been so focused on his one goal of graduating that it blinded him to everything else and she wasn’t sure she could stand it anymore. 

“You need to take a break. Don’t study tonight. Just hang out and watch a movie with me,” she said softly, hoping he’d absorb some of her calm. 

“I can’t! That math final is on Friday and that only leaves three days and I still don’t understand how to do statistics and she said I had to get at least a 70 on it to pass and that doesn’t leave a lot that I can get wrong but I also don’t understand a lot of the rest of it but I found this one teacher online that uploaded her lessons digitally but they are like an hour long and I have to pause a lot because I get confused and-”

“Stop!” Zelda interrupted him, reaching across and prying his fingers from his thighs where his grip had slowly intensified to the point she was sure he’d leave drag marks even through his pants. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to,” he said quickly when she looked up at him with his hands still in hers. 

“I’m tired too, Link. Finals week has been hell for everyone. But you have to stop this. It’s hurting you, it’s hurting me. I can’t stand seeing you like this, especially when I feel like I can’t help you. Just do your best. No one is expecting you to be perfect,” her own eyes rimmed slightly with unshed tears as her frustration settled into a quiet upset. 

_You’re hurting me,_ her words plastered themselves to every available thought in his mind, repeating themselves on a loop until it was all he could hear. Nothing else she said mattered as soon as he heard them.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered, pulling his hands from hers but not quite knowing what to do with them other than awkwardly hovering them in the air, “I’m really sorry.”

She sniffed and wiped at her cheek, tilting her head slightly, watching him just as intently as he was watching her. He seemed to be battling with himself internally, no doubt twisting her words into something more destructive than she’d intended while also trying to build a path of reason out of it. He had to work so much harder than she did to process those moments where they seemed to collide. She could see it all over his face that he wanted nothing more than to run from it, but he stayed. He stayed because he knew it would hurt her to leave like that. His growth was tenuous and sometimes difficult to understand, but it was there. It simply required patience, which she was willing to give him. The quiet between them gave him a moment to breath and pull his words together. She sat and waited however long he needed.

“I really don't mean to,” he eventually said as he lowered his hands to his lap, picking up the edge of his shirt to bunch between his fingers instead of grabbing onto his pants again, “I’m...I’ll try to stop. I promise. I’m sorry.”

She sighed, more at ease now that he had seemed to reel himself back in. She pulled her sleeves up over her hands to scrub her face, but he leaned forward to hold her before she could lower them again. 

“It’s just important to me. I want to walk with you. I want to graduate together. I’m trying really hard to catch up but I was so behind. I really want to do this.”

He loosened his grip so she could slide her arms out from where they’d been trapped between them and she laced them around his waist, snuggling up just under his chin. She tucked so perfectly in the space there it was almost as if it were made for the exact shape of her. 

“No matter what happens, you will be okay. After everything you’ve been through, this is the least of your worries. At least there isn’t a tube in your chest right now.”

He cringed and sucked in a breath, feeling the ghost of pain trace a line across his ribs. He shivered through it and she could feel his muscles contracting over his bones. Sometimes he could still feel the nurse sliding it out. 

“And even if you don’t graduate, don’t you think for a minute that I’m leaving you behind. The college I want to go to is just an hour away. I don’t even have to move there, I can just drive. Or we can go together if you want to try to apply there too. But none of that matters. Even if you decided to just fail and go dumpster diving for the rest of your life, I’d be right there to pick the trash out of your hair.”

He let the muscles in his neck relax as he rested his cheek on the top of her head, smiling at the image of them ripping open trash bags to find treasures inside. It sounded more like something she actually wanted to do rather than anything he’d ever come up with and it made him grin just thinking of it. 

“I’m sorry I made you cry.”

She let go of him and brushed his bangs from his face as he looked down at the floor. 

“It’s okay, Link. I’ll be fine. I was just worried about you.”

He nodded, but her words from earlier were still ringing in his head. Normally, he’d shove them down with everything else that bothered him, leaving them to rot and fester until they all came up in one violent purge when he just couldn’t contain it anymore. But he’d been trying to be better about not bottling things up. He had people to talk to now, people who really understood. It still didn’t come naturally to him to share his pain, but the relief that came with it was a feeling he found himself craving. 

“If…” he started, but lost his nerve, letting go of her so he could readjust himself on the barstool he was sitting on. 

“If what?” 

His hands went to his legs, but he splayed out his fingers and cracked his knuckles instead of grabbing the skin there. Zelda watched him carefully, but didn’t push him further until he was ready to continue. 

“If I ever do anything that hurts you, please tell me. I know I’m not the easiest person to be with, but sometimes I just...I get lost in my own head and I don’t see anything else. I don’t know how to explain it. But I don’t want to hurt you. Or upset you,” he looked up briefly before squeezing his hands together in his lap, “And I don’t want you to feel like my failures are because you did something wrong. You don’t have to fix me, that’s my job.”

He shifted his line of vision to the dots and long swirls of the marble counter top, his body bouncing to the rhythm of his leg as he propped it on the foot rest for support. She didn’t answer him for so long that he almost wondered if she’d decided to leave the room just to get away from him. But when he looked up, she was still there, a soft smile on her face as she watched him struggle. 

“Did I say something wrong?”

Her smile grew wider, pushing her cheeks into soft little mounds on her face that made her eyes squint as the fondness she felt for him warmed her all the way to the tips of her ears. 

“I just really like you,” she said tucking her hair behind her ear almost bashfully. 

He mirrored her nervous energy, licking his bottom lip before returning her smile and messing with his own hair that had fallen in his face again before she reached out and fixed it for him. The moment their bodies reconnected, the strain that spanned between them earlier had completed melted away, in its place a quiet contentment they both took a moment to savor. 

“What movie do you want to watch?” he asked as he ran a finger up and down the seam of her sleeve. 

“We could sit and watch a blank screen for all I care. I just want to cuddle and not think about school for a while.”

“So not the Zoran soap opera then?”

She sat up with mischief in her eyes as something occurred to her. 

“King Sidon is marrying his mistress tonight, I think! I can’t believe I forgot!” 

“I didn’t forget.”

“Of course you didn’t, you’re obsessed with that show!” she laughed, standing so that she could pull him into the living room. 

“I am not!”

They fell together on the couch, instantly curling around each other as Zelda fiddled with the remote and Link wrapped them in one of the many throw blankets that were always strewn about. For the rest of the night, he thought of only her. When he took his new pill that night, he felt it pulling at his eyes almost instantly, nearly falling asleep in the shower when the warm water ran down his back. He would sleep all night, only waking when Zelda shoved him awake the next morning and asked him why he was mumbling about Zora marriage rituals in his sleep. 

“I guess I do need to lay off the Zoran soap operas,” he grumbled as he stretched, feeling his back pop from the base of his neck all the way down his spine, remembering the odd, vivid dreams that he’d had all night. 

“If you were the King and I was your mistress, would you marry me?” Zelda joked with him as she pulled up her long hair into a messy bun. 

“I’d marry you right now,” he said without thinking, a little too clearly and a little too seriously for the air of the conversation. 

Zelda let out a mix between a chuckle and a snort as she backed out of the room. 

“I’m gonna go start the coffee, Romeo. I’ll see you downstairs.” 

He groaned, falling back onto his pillow with his hands over his face. 

* * *

He survived finals week and sat in his final class of the day waiting to hear if he’d passed them or not as Zelda gossiped with Mipha. He’d been a nervous wreck all day, but true to his word, he’d tried to be more conscious of the times he grabbed himself a bit too roughly or bit down a little too hard on his lips. Remy had come home one day and gifted him a small ball filled with some type of pliable material that he now squeezed in his hands instead. It seemed to help. He wasn’t sure how he’d come to be privy of that particular need, but he always seemed to be aware of when Link was struggling and was quick to offer some type of solution. He had it wedged soundly in his hand as he anxiously awaited however the news would find him. 

“Riju is being infuriating, I don’t know why she won’t just tell us they are a thing,” Mipha complained, shoving the rest of her stuff in her bag as she anticipated the ringing of the bell. 

“I know! Do you think she’d think we wouldn’t be supportive? Because she’s crazy if she does.”

“I don’t know! Paya is just as bad. If you ask her she just giggles and changes the subject. She’s always been a tough nut to crack, but I figured Riju would have spilled it by now. She has no filter.”

“Guess we’ll just have to wait until one of them slips.”

“ _We need Link Faron to the office please_ ,” a voice on the intercom interrupted their conversation and both of the girls immediately turned to Link who seemed frozen, his eyes glazed as he immediately went back to another time when he sat in that same classroom, listening to that same announcement. 

Mipha looked on perplexed, but Zelda immediately made the connection, reaching out to touch his arm, bringing him back to the present moment. 

“It’s just for your letter, remember?” 

“Yeah...uh...I guess I’ll meet you at the car then?” he nodded, picking up his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. 

“Don’t open it without me!” she called after him. He turned and gave her a timid smile before shutting the heavy door behind him. 

“What was that all about? He looked like he saw a ghost,” Mipha asked, still confused by his odd shift in behavior. 

“Oh, uh…” her usual quick thinking left her hanging there awkwardly. She was too concerned about him opening that letter by himself in the hallway to think of a way to simply describe his complex situation to her in a way that wouldn’t violate his privacy. 

“Something really bad happened to him, didn’t it?” Mipha asked carefully when she noticed Zelda stalling. 

Zelda just nodded, packing up her own things. 

“He wasn’t really sick when he was in the hospital, was he?”

“No, he wasn’t.”

“Does he see his own parents at all anymore?” 

She sighed, letting her backpack fall limp on the table while Mipha held a firm line of sight directly at her face. There was no escaping it anymore. She’d skirted around it for months, even though she realized none of them really bought into her half truths. They were just kind enough to accept them for what they were. She didn’t want to tell his story for him, but she also knew he’d never feel comfortable really laying it out for them himself. So she decided to give as little as she could while still being honest, hoping it would satisfy her until Link could fill in the rest. 

“His Dad is in jail now and his mom is really sick, like...mentally sick. They were...not good to him. He’s going to live with us forever. Or I mean, for as long as he wants to. My dad has custody of him now. But please don’t ask him about it. He’s really shy and it makes him uncomfortable.” 

“Oh,” Mipha said as she worked quickly to piece it all together, “Okay. I won’t, I promise. I just noticed he seems a little sad all the time. Like in his eyes. I was just worried about him.”

The bell rang and Zelda stood quickly from her seat, eager to meet Link outside. 

“He’s cool though, Zee. I’m glad you guys found each other. You seem happy and he’s a sweet guy. I’m happy for you.”

“I know he is,” Zelda smiled, falling back a step to give her a quick side hug, “I’ve gotta see if I can find him before he gets too curious and opens that letter by himself though.”

“Go, girl! I’ll talk to you later!”

“I’ll message you!” 

She ran down the hall and almost collided with him. He was standing in the hallway, holding the letter in his hands right outside of the office. 

“What did they say?” she asked, nearly breathless as she looked down at it. It was a simple white envelope addressed to his parents or guardian, the symbol of the school embossed on the front. He hadn’t broken the seal yet. 

“Nothing, they’re really busy. They just handed it to me.”

“Are you ready to open it?” 

“No,” he answered honestly, his brows knitting together in concern while he shoved it inside his jacket pocket. 

She took his hand, leaning on his shoulder as they walked outside. A steady rain had started since they’d first entered the building that morning and she rummaged through her backpack before realizing she didn’t have a jacket. Link immediately took off his own, wrapping it around her shoulders despite her adamant protests that he needed it more. 

“Dad said if you get sick you could end up back in the hospital. I’ll be fine. Take it.”

“Nope,” he continued walking through the rain as she trailed behind him. 

“Take it back!” she shoved it in his direction, but he continued dodging her. They ended up in a game of cat and mouse all the way to the car, both of them soaking wet before they finally found shelter inside. 

“If you get sick I’m going to be pissed at you,” she laughed, wringing the rain water out of her hair as she looked across at him. 

He smiled at her, but his gaze was already out the window, his stress ball taking a particularly violent attack as he tried not to think about the letter burning a hole in the jacket that was now draped over Zelda’s lap. 

“Hey, Dad’s home early,” she mentioned as she remembered a message he’d sent earlier. “We could open it together.”

He nodded eagerly and she tried her best to drive as quickly but as safely as she could all the way home. When they finally made it inside their house, she slapped it down on the counter and Remy looked up from his bag of chips, his brows raised as he took in their appearance. They were still still damp from the rain, Link’s hair plastered in curls across his clammy forehead while Zelda crossed her arms and pushed it closer to him. 

“Are you finally paying rent?”

“Just open it.”

He picked it up, his face softening when he noticed what it was. He looked up at Link who was seeming to have a hard time figuring out where to rest his eyes. Remy’s eyes lingered on the words, “parent/guardian” typed across the front of the envelope. Sometimes it still felt unreal that he technically had two children. But he was immediately reminded of their presence when one of them cleared her throat impatiently and pointed aggressively at the still unopened letter in his hands. He looked over at Link then who was standing there right beside her as he always was. He slightly nodded, giving his approval. So he opened it. 

He read it slowly, careful not to let his face give anything away. But that proved to be an impossible task when his mouth seemed to form a smile unconsciously when he read the words, “ _Link Alexander Faron has been approved by the Hyrule High Board of Education to be honored with a diploma, honoring his continued commitment to both his education and his future.”_

“You did it, son,” Remy beamed proudly, offering the letter to him when he looked shell shocked at the words. 

Link’s grip on the paper was so tight that he thought it might rip at the edges. Zelda was about to take it from him and read it herself when she noticed his hands shaking and looked up to see a pained expression on his face. 

“You did it! You passed!” she said, gripping his cheeks so that he had to look at her instead of the letter he was still rapidly scanning, no doubt looking for the mistake he was sure to find there. 

His face was a mixed bag of emotions. His bottom lip quivered, his eyes straining to hold back unshed tears while his brows twitched and he seemed to hold his breath. 

“Link, you did it! You’re graduating! You passed every test, even math! Look, you needed a 70 and you got a 75!” 

He finally let out his breath and with it a strangled noise that followed him all the way into her open arms. He pushed his face into her neck even though Remy was right there, his eyes locked on both of them. Normally he’d be self conscious of being so openly affectionate with her right in front of him, but he was so overwhelmed that he worried he might end up on the floor if she wasn’t there to keep him upright. He began to weep quietly into her while she rubbed his back.

“Hey, come on! None of that! You should be proud of yourself!” Remy tried as he watched his back heave up and down. 

After a few moments, he pulled back and composed himself planting his elbows on the counter, making a tent with his arms as he leaned into his hands. 

“My dad said-'' he started, but had to close his eyes as another wave hit him. Zelda put her hand on his back again, tilting her head so she could see his face, “My dad said they would make me stay and clean the building because I would never be smart enough to graduate.”

“Your dad is a liar,” Remy stated, reaching across to add own hand to his shoulder, “And look at him now. You tell me who made it out better.”

“I believed him.” 

He watched as his tears shattered apart on the cool counter top, reflecting tiny images of himself upside down to stare at him, to ask him why he was crying when he’d gotten all he ever wanted. 

“You are going to walk across that stage, hold that diploma in your hand, and feel every vile comment he made at your expense lift off of your shoulders. Then you and Zelda are going to grow up and get into trouble together and I’m going to be there to bail you out of it. You’re going to travel, explore. You’re going to paint more. Or you’ll find something else that you enjoy doing and you’ll do that instead. But more than anything, you’re going to get to choose your own happiness. The only reason you will walk back into that school is because they are paying you for your expertise on something or you’ll be there to fight for your own kid’s future like you did for your own. I know I’m not him, but in many ways I feel like your father. And as your honorary father I want to tell you that I am so incredibly proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

Link lifted his head slowly as Remy spoke to him, his breathing slowing, his heart absorbing every word. There was a clamor within him as Remy's blatant love for him fought the years of cruelty that still dug deep, desperate to keep their claim on him. But they wouldn't win today, not as both Zelda and Remy beamed at him with pride and poured their love into him so freely that he was convinced they would all wash away in it. 

“Now who do you believe?” Remy asked at the end, his face gentle. 

“What kind of trouble do you expect us to get into exactly?” Zelda added when it was clear Link needed a minute to sit with what he'd just heard. He gave her a weepy smile in thanks and finally straightened his shoulders while he wiped the last of his tears from his eyes. 

“If you ever leave my custody, who is going to stop you from trying to rebuild that guardian?”

“Not Link, he liked my guardian,” she grinned at him before resting her cheek on his shoulder, her hands wrapped around his arm as it lay extended across the bar. 

“Exactly”

Link’s stomach growled loudly and Zelda shot up, her maternal instincts immediately activated. 

“I think this calls for a celebration dinner!” she declared, determined to see him eat more than a handful of chips as he stared at a computer screen. 

“I second that motion,” Remy added.

“I could eat,” Link smiled at her enthusiasm, the buzz inside his head finally receding enough to join the conversation again. 

He watched her ruffle through the pantry then, searching for the ingredients for whatever delicacy her mind had settled on that she could deem appropriate for the occasion. Remy stood and walked around the bar, pulling him into a side hug and then ruffling his hair before letting go. 

“Take a breath, son. You’ve made it. I meant what I said. I am very proud of you. We can mail that invitation to your mother too, if you’d like.” 

“Okay,” he said quietly at the mention of her. 

“I’m sure she will be proud of you too.”

He felt himself tear up again, but pushed it back. He was done crying. More than anything, he wanted everything Remy had described and he knew now what it would take to get there and that he was more than capable of actually achieving it now. The thought was so freeing it felt like even the air he was breathing was crisper, a weight lifting off his body he hadn't even noticed he'd been carrying before. 

Zelda plopped breathlessly beside him while Remy stepped away, a random assortment of ingredients in her arms and a smile so wide across her face it nearly split her in two. 

“I just realized I can’t cook and it’s not a celebration if I make you cook it so I think we have to go somewhere to celebrate. Do you want to go somewhere?”

He couldn’t help but mirror her smile, looking down at the things in her arms. She had a can of green beans, some random spices, a block of cream cheese, and a package of chocolate chips. 

“I think that’s probably a good idea,” he laughed at her. 

She kept them all tucked in her arms as she rushed forward, capturing him in a kiss so fierce that it nearly knocked their teeth together. 

“Woah! It’s not that kind of celebration!” Remy shouted as he reached for his keys. 

“You did it,” she said softly to him, ignoring her father as her face hovered just in front of his. 

“I did it.”

“Come on, you two love birds, let’s go to that one pasta place and tell them it’s Link’s birthday so we’ll get free cheesecake,” Remy interrupted them again as they lost themselves in each other’s eyes, oblivious to his now blatant staring as he shook his keys in an attempt to get their attention again. 

“Can I drive?” Link finally asked, much to everyone’s surprise. He’d still been insistent on not getting his license even though he really didn’t have a reason not to. Some part of him enjoyed the time they spent together in the car as a family and he feared losing that closeness when he no longer needed them to take him places. 

“Two victories in one day!” Zelda almost sang in delight. 

Remy nodded and handed him the keys. 

“Our lives are in your hands,” he joked.

But Link thought it was really his in there's and they were molding him into a person he never thought he could be. Suddenly, the world appeared just a shade lighter than it had before and he was eager to see just how much more he could illuminate with their help. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this one took so long, but I just sat and fought with it and I still kind of hate it but I can't look at it anymore. I either really love chapters or they irk me and this is one that bothered me. Hopefully you will enjoy it though!
> 
> I plan on attempting to wrap this up in about 5 or so more chapters. It'll have a nice conclusion, so no worries there. I just need to let my brain rest a while I think. 
> 
> Also, can we just get an RIP for the laptop this story was conceived on. It started with the keys getting stuck and then they came off and now we are back on the old faithful tiny chromebook I earned my master's degree on. RIP little fella. It was a good ride. Thank God for Google Docs.


	45. Chapter 45

Attendance for seniors became a laughable subject once final grades were chiseled into the grade books and the roster for graduation was approved and sent off to be embossed on the textured card stock programs. For the first time in Link’s life, he almost enjoyed going to school. The pressure that had once threatened to flatten him into the old tile floors was lifted and he found himself looking forward to seeing Zelda’s friends. Or  _ his friends,  _ as he had to remind himself. There were several classes he had with only one of them and they always made a point to scoot their desks closer to his so that they could talk or laugh with him. 

He remembered with vivid clarity the days before everything changed where he would sit and look out the window, letting his mind fall into some imaginary world when he knew there was nothing for him in the real one. The most he was ever spoken to was by the overly curious principal or the kind lunch ladies who had sometimes offered him extra breakfast when he stumbled in especially hungry from not eating the night before. It was its own kind of peace in some way. He was safe from the ire of his father and the complexity of his mother. No one was there to blame him something he hadn't done or make him question his own motives. It was easy for him to simply blend in and let his presence be like a whisper in the hallways that were always so teeming with life. He had always been able to breathe a little easier at school, no matter how isolated he still was. But he never realized how much he truly yearned for contact until he had it. Now he sat in class missing Mipha’s constant script of dialogue when she left for student council meetings or listening to Paya explain something ridiculous Riju had done that she felt less confident telling the other girls. Paya had quickly clicked with Link’s quiet and forgiving nature the more time they spent together and the two had become fast friends once he allowed himself to accept she wasn’t just being kind to him because of Zelda. He enjoyed listening to her talk just as much as she appreciated his attentive ear. 

But it was Zelda who he always ended up looking for. The way she scanned a crowd for him, the way her face immediately scrunched into a smile when she spotted him from across the hall, the way she would drop everything to run towards him. All of it spun together in his heart and mind in a cocktail of affection that left his cheeks warm and his hands itching to tangle in her hair. Where once he spent the days imagining himself as anyone else, now he was content with the idea that he gave her the same butterfly feelings that she did to him. It was intoxicating and they quickly grew even closer than they had been before. When they were together, they were always overlapping in some way, whether it was her arms closing around him from behind or their fingers entangled as they walked. They felt the most comfortable the closer they were to one another, to the point they often lost focus of where they were and ended up being told to separate by some school faculty member or by Mipha when she would playfully push between them to get Zelda’s attention. 

It was why he started to panic internally when she didn’t come downstairs at the time she usually did to head to school one morning only a week before the graduation ceremony. He had a mug of coffee waiting for her that had since gone cold while he sat and tried to reason with himself that some tragedy hadn’t befallen her at some point in the night that he was unaware of. Thanks to his new medication, he’d been sleeping a lot deeper and he had to rationalize with himself that he didn’t sleep through a home invasion or a kidnapping. She was likely still just getting dressed. Sometimes she was indecisive. Maybe she was curling her hair that day. That was what he had settled on when Remy walked into the kitchen to start his own morning. 

“Where’s Zelda?”

His words immediately broke the illusion of calm Link had shakily manufactured and he mumbled something in response while he flew upstairs. He pushed her door open and immediately spotted the silhouette of her still underneath her covers. His mind flashed back to the countless times he’d come upon his own mother in a similar situation. He literally shook the thoughts away with a shake of his head as he approached her bedside. That wasn't his life anymore, but the bruise of it still twinged his heart all the same. 

Her cheeks were flushed and her brow knitted together as she grumbled in her sleep. Before he could reach out and wake her, she choked on a raspy cough, her eyes cracking open and spotting him while he knelt beside her with a look of unease on his face. 

“Hey,” she rasped, pushing her damp hair that had clung to her forehead away with the back of her hand. 

He reached out and felt of her forehead like she was always doing to him when she was convinced he was unwell. She was hot to the touch and he started jumping to conclusions before he could even fully process the thought of it. 

“Did I get you sick?” he asked, helping her clear the rest of her hair from her face when she seemed to run out of energy from even just lifting her arm. 

“What? No,” another round of coughing stopped her before she could continue and when she opened her eyes she could see him fretting over her, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to find a way to blame it on himself. The longer she knew him and the more she learned about his past, the more the little things made sense to her. Like why he apologized for things that seemingly had nothing to do with him. He’d even apologize for her dropping something or for Mipha cancelling plans last second. He would seem remorseful for anything that went awry while he was in her presence, even when he had no control over the circumstances that led them there. Anytime either she or her father displayed any type of negative emotion, he would immediately go on the defensive, either by leaving the room or stopping speaking all together until he had convinced himself they weren’t angry with him. It was a quiet affair that was easily missed if you weren't able to read the subtle signs of his body language, but to her, it was as easy to decipher as bold faced print across the front of his face. She knew it stemmed from his father and she had even tried to explain as much to him one day, but he hadn’t been ready to hear it. He’d simply apologized again and left to work on a new drawing in his room. 

“Are you okay?” his voice cut through her thoughts and she did her best to smile at him through the haze of the ache in her head.

“I’m alright. Guess I’ll miss movie day in history though. He was going to show the one about Vah Rudania I like,” she closed her eyes as the pulsing behind them intensified. 

“I’ll get you some medicine.” 

He was out of the room before she could protest and when he returned, Remy was on hot on his heels. As Link portioned out the cold pills and handed them to her with a bottle of water while he knelt by her bed, Remy stood right behind him with a watchful eye. He stood quietly as Link pressed a cool rag to her head and tucked her hair behind her ears before making sure she was covered from her chin down to her toes with her comforter. He did everything with such a tender gentleness, as if the slightest touch might make her more uncomfortable. It was everything that Remy would have done for her had he not been there. He realized as he observed the two of them that they were slowly putting together the foundation of the rest of their lives they’d likely spend together. It would be Link who cared for her when she fell ill, who eased her anxieties and fears, who listened to her endless stream of consciousness as they went about their daily activities. One day they would move on without him and build their own future and he’d be left to stand in her empty bedroom. The realization was so bittersweet that he almost caught himself wiping a tear from the corner of his eye before he noticed Zelda staring at him. 

“I’m sorry I’m sick on your birthday, Dad.”

“No worries. You’ll feel better in no time. I’ll call Impa and stay with you today while Link is at school. I’d rather spend the day with you anyway," he smiled at her softly.

Link shifted uncomfortably on the edge of her bed with his hands squeezed tightly together between his knees. 

“It’s just a free day today, do I have to go?” 

“If you catch what she has and it goes into your lungs, you could end up back in the hospital. You really shouldn’t even be in here right now. You go on to school, I’ve got this.”   


Link never disobeyed him. After the talk they’d had in the park that one afternoon, he did anything that was asked of him without question. Zelda could persuade him to bend rules if they did it together, such as sharing a bed or being in her room after dark, but overall, Link was incredibly compliant, almost to a fault. Remy could almost see the cogs of his brain whirring as he tried to give himself enough confidence to offer a rebuttal. It was glaringly obvious that he had no intention of leaving Zelda in that state, but Remy had just put a huge block in his plans he had to maneuver around.

“If I go to school…” he started slow, running his bottom lip between his teeth as he did so, “If I go to school I will think about it all day. I’ll think of all the horrible things that could have happened while I was away and I won’t be able to convince myself they aren’t real until I come back home. I’ll be miserable. Please can I stay?”

“And what if you end up sick? What will I tell Ms. Leta when you’re on oxygen again?” Remy asked, watching him think it through. He was proud of how self aware he was becoming, but it still didn’t outweigh the risks for him. 

“I’ll be okay. I’ll just be here to check on her. I’ll wash my hands. I can sit over there, I just don’t want to leave her like this.”

Zelda reached out to touch the back of his hand as he gripped the softness of her blankets beside him. Remy sighed, realizing he was fighting a losing battle. 

“As long as you promise to keep your distance and wash your hands. There’s a few things I actually really needed to get done today anyway.”

“I’m okay, Dad. Link will take care of me,” she smiled groggily at him from under her covers. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and see her little again, to watch as she lifted both of her arms up to him so that he would hold her close. He wanted to offer her popsicles for her sore throat and run her a cool bath to lower her temperature. But she didn’t need him like that anymore. She had Link to bring her drinks that would go untouched on her bedside and hold her hand as she slept through the worst of it. He cleared the building sentimental feelings at the back of his throat and decided it might do him well to get out of the house and away from his feelings anyway. 

“No funny business while I’m gone,” he said as he pointed a finger at Zelda, hoping to distract himself from it before he left. 

“Dad, I’m  _ sick,”  _ she groaned, her brows so furled on her face they were nearly touching. 

“You know what they call me at the office, right?”

“Mr. Hyrule?”   


“Grandpa,” he spat playfully as he walked out the door, “Please don’t prove them right.”

“It’s not my fault your beard is graying!” she called to him, her voice hoarse from coughing. She could hear him lightly laughing as he walked downstairs. Link slid to the floor beside her bed and she let her arm dangle down where he could hold it as they listened to the rumble of the garage door lifting up and then closing again. 

“I got really sick once,” Link said quietly, tracing the lines on the back of her hand with his thumb. 

“Oh yeah? Like this?” she asked, her eyes closed as she breathed heavily in and out, the motions almost lulling her back to sleep. 

“Yeah, I think so. It was when that weird flu was going around. I think I had it.”

“The Rito Flu? Did your parents take you to get tested? They were super weird about that at school. Remember when they closed school just to clean it for like a week?”

He let his own eyes flutter shut as he imagined it. He hadn’t known too much about it. He didn’t have a slate then and his only source of information came from school or television. Once he’d gotten sick, he was trapped in his room and had no way of knowing what was happening outside the walls of his bedroom. He only remembered feeling violently ill and wondering if he’d die in there. He remembered wondering how long it would take his parents to notice. 

“No, they didn’t. My mom was really bad then. She barely got out of bed so she didn’t even know I was sick. My dad just didn’t care. But that's not surprising. I didn’t come out of my room for like two days. I threw up so many times. I thought I was dying. I remember drinking water out of the bathroom sink because the kitchen was just too far away.”

She rolled over so that she could wrap her other arm around him, holding him awkwardly as she leaned over the bed. She tried a few times to get comfortable before giving up and sighing. 

“Just get up here.”

“But-”

“Link he’s at work! He doesn’t have secret cameras in here.”

He got up and crawled under the covers, maneuvering his body until he was almost underneath her. She laid across his chest, feeling his rib cage flex with each breath he took. 

“I don’t like to think about you like that,” she said softly, imagining feeling worse than she did right then and what it would be like if no one cared if you made it through or not. She imagined laying there as a fever raged in her body, unable to get up to get herself something to ease the discomfort of it. She loved him so much that she almost couldn’t fathom that anyone else would be content to let him lay there in misery without wanting to help him. 

He slung his arm over her back and held her close, feeling her breathing just as acutely as she did his. 

“When mom felt better she would check on me when I was sick. Sometimes she would bring me medicine and I would take whatever she gave me even though I didn’t know what it was. Sometimes it helped, other times it made me feel worse. But she tried. She was just really sick that time. I made it.” 

She didn’t know how to respond to him. His relationship with his mother was so hard for her to wrap her mind around that more often than not, she opted just to listen to him try and explain it rather than join in to the conversation. He was so quick to forgive her of any wrongdoing, to offer an explanation for her behavior, even when what she’d done seemed unjustifiable to her. But she kept her opinions to herself and simply held onto him, her eyes growing heavy with each up and down of his chest as he talked. 

“Are you thirsty?” he asked when he sensed she was dozing off. 

“Just tired.”

She fell asleep in his arms and as much as he wanted to stay awake to solidify it in his memory forever, he followed soon after her. 

* * *

It was her who eventually woke him as she leaned on top of him, her hair tickling the tops of his cheeks. 

“It’s two in the afternoon. We have literally slept all day.” 

She turned away from him to cough off to the side and he startled awake at the sound of it, his head jerking back and forth quickly as the room slowly came back into focus. 

“Are you okay?” he slurred as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. 

“I feel a lot better, my throat is just still sore. I think the seven hours of sleep we just got was beneficial,” she grinned while she still loomed above him. She loved the way his voice was raspy when he woke up from a deep sleep and the way his hair stuck to his face from where he’d held his mouth open. His cheeks were slightly blushed from having slept under her through her fever but his eyes looked a lot brighter than they had the day before. It was the first time in a long time they’d gotten to spend so much uninterrupted time together without the stress of school or work, even if they had been asleep the whole time. He looked so relaxed underneath her that she was tempted to lay back down again, but she had other plans. 

“Will you help me surprise Dad? I thought about cooking dinner for him so it’s ready when he gets home. I found this recipe for this caramel dessert he’d love too. But I have a difficult time scrambling eggs so I need your expertise.” 

“But you’re sick, you shouldn’t go to the store,” he countered, tilting his head at her in a way that made it hard for her not to pepper his face with soft kisses. She reminded herself to stay focused and clarified for him. 

“You have your license now, you can take my car. I’ll shower and clean up a little if I feel like it and I’ll help you when you get back. Would you do that for me?”

He’d do anything for her, he thought as she leaned on her elbow beside him. He had to fight the urge to rise up and kiss her lips that were hovering just over his face, but he remembered his promise to keep his distance and decided it was the least he could do for Remy to at least not do that, even though he'd just spent hours breathing in her exhales. 

“Will you write it down for me?” he asked instead. 

She closed to distance anyway and kissed him on the cheek, whispering a soft “yeah” as she did so. He carried his flush with him all the way out the door. 

When he returned some time later, Zelda had managed to pull up her wet hair in a bun but had done very little other than lay across the couch and scroll through television. Her cough had grown deeper and heavier as the day went on, but she insisted she was fine each time he asked. They had made the marinade for the steaks and the dessert was in the refrigerator when her slate rang and she grimaced at the name across the screen. 

“Why is Impa calling me?”

He shrugged as he turned his back to start a load of dishes, assuming it had something to do with work. 

“When?” he heard her voice ask tersely.

He plopped another dish in the sink and ran his hands under the warm water just to feel it across his skin. 

“Which hospital?”

His lungs momentarily ceased to function and his heart hung there limply like a pinata, beaten senseless and left to dangle inside his chest cavity. 

“I’ll be right there,” she hung up and immediately stood from the bar, fighting off a dizzy spell as she reached for her keys. She was halfway through putting her coat on when she noticed Link hadn’t moved other than to turn his head, his eyes searching for any validation to the chaos that was going on inside his mind as he desperately fought off the idea that everything he’d just built his life on was about to be tossed overboard. 

“Hey!” she called out to him, crossing the room in only a few short steps so that she stood before him, “It’s just his back. He slipped on the stairs. It’s not serious. Impa actually made him go get it looked at, he was trying to come home. He’s okay, Link. I promise.”

He finally let go of the breath he’d trapped inside for fear that it would be the last one he took where everything was okay. It took him a moment, but he managed to pull himself back together and calm the static inside his brain that had taken over his thoughts the moment he heard the word “hospital”. He pulled his hands from the water and dried them on his pants, reaching and taking the keys from her hands even as she tried to resist him. 

“Do you want to drive?” she asked, confused. 

“You’re still sick," he answered flatly. 

“I’m fine,” she insisted, though another coughing spell came to prove him right the moment it left her lips. He pressed his hand to her cheek and felt that her fever had returned. He forced the whir of emotions in his heart to quell, realizing that the two most important people in his life were in need of help and for once, he was in a position to help them. He felt himself shift into focus as he jumped into action.

“You’re burning up. You need to lay down.”

“But he’s waiting on me! He can’t drive himself home. Someone has to go check on him,” she argued with him all the way into the living room until she found herself pressed into the soft cushions with a blanket draped over her shoulders. He briefly left the room and returned with another dose of cold medicine, a bottle of water, and an ice pack wrapped lightly in a dish towel. He said nothing as he handed the medicine to her and lightly placed the ice pack to the curve of her neck. She shivered at the sudden drop in temperature and couldn’t fight herself any longer as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. 

She felt him pick up her hand and place it in his, using his other to trace the line from her knuckles to her wrist as she fought herself to open her eyes again. He was trying so hard to hold himself together, even as he tensed his shoulders and held his jaw firmly clenched. But she could also see how determined he was to not let her off that couch.

“He’s stubborn. He’ll try to drive himself home,” she said quietly, feeling herself go a little woozy from the headache that had slowly started drumming again in her head. 

“I know,” he breathed, “Will you stay here and rest? I'll go get him." 

“I guess,” she gave him a weak sigh as she turned to cough into her sleeve again. 

“Hold on.”

He left her then and went into the kitchen. When he returned several minutes later, he had his shoes and a light jacket on with a mug of tea in his hands. 

“Drink this. I’ll call you when I see him okay?”

She took the mug from his hands and lightly sipped at the sweet liquid, immediately smiling when she tasted the chamomile and honey. It was her favorite. Of course he remembered her favorite one. 

“Be careful,” she managed to croak out. 

He leaned over the back of the couch to kiss her on the top of the head before shutting the garage door behind him. 

* * *

At the hospital, Remy fought with the nurse, trying to convince her it would take more than one shot of pain medication to keep him from driving home to see his kids on his birthday. He was in the middle of another spirited exchange when another nurse poked her head in, tapping the door to get his attention. 

“There’s a handsome young man out here claiming he’s your son, but he seems way too mild mannered to be yours,” she smirked at him. 

“Link? Is that you?” he called out from the bed as the nurse beside him gave up and walked out the door. 

Link immediately stepped in the doorway, just as breathless and out of sorts as Remy expected to be. But what he hadn’t expected was to see him alone. He craned his neck, but Zelda was nowhere to be found.

“Hey kid, take a breath, what did you do, run here?” he laughed when Link sat down in the chair beside his bed and sucked in a sharp breath as if he'd just flown up the stairs by twos. 

“I hurried," he responded simply, brushing his hair out of his face. 

“I told Impa not to bother you guys. I just tweaked a disk or something in my back on the stairs at the office. I’m going to be just fine. I’m waiting on discharge right now,” he explained as Link nodded, listening intently. 

Link relaxed further into the hard plastic cushion of the hospital chair. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but on the quiet ride from their home to the hospital, all he could do was picture Remy unconscious with a tube down his throat. He had felt his own arms where they’d stuck needles, his ribs where they’d sliced him open to relieve the pressure of the extra air and blood in his chest. He remembered the raw feeling in his throat from where they had intubated him during surgery and the soreness of his joints from laying in one position for so long during his long recovery. But more than anything, he remembered the suffocating darkness he’d woken up in when he finally regained consciousness. To him, the hospital was not a place he ever wanted to see again, but he couldn’t stand the thought of Remy there alone and in pain. As much as he'd tried to stay composed, the moment he shut the door and left Zelda, his mind started into overdrive and he pictured a thousand scenarios in his mind, all of which were nothing like the reality that found him when he finally got here. 

When he’d seen him sitting there, still dressed in his work clothes, the only thing to indicate him being a patient there at all being the plastic bracelet on his wrist, he let himself breathe. There was no blood. No tubing. No threat of death. Remy wasn’t dying, he was just irritated at the inconvenience. The thought of it almost made him smile as he sat there listening to the muffled tones of the television and the patter of the nurses’ footfall out in the hallway.

“How’s Zelda?” Remy asked.

“Still sick. She wanted to come but I told her no.”

Remy couldn’t help the grin that grew across his face as he imagined their conversation. Link was such a yes man when it came to Zelda that he had a hard time picturing him actually refusing a direct request. He was almost upset he wasn’t there to see it in person. 

“Look at you,” Remy said, his eyes crinkled as he shifted on the thin mattress, “Taking care of us for a change. We’d be lost without you today, wouldn’t we?”

Link could only return his smile with a shy tilt of his lips as a doctor walked in the room. 

“This must be your son, Mr. Hyrule,” the man said as he flipped a paper over on the clipboard in his hands, smiling at Link before turning to Remy, “And at just the perfect time. You’re free to go so long as you promise to see your regular physician and set up a time to get that disk dealt with. Can you drive?”

He directed his question at Link who politely nodded, pulling Zelda’s keys from his jacket pocket. 

“Perfect. Take care of your father for me, will you? Don’t let him walk down any more stairs while looking at a slate from now on,” he said with a glint in his eye before handing Remy his discharge papers and exiting the room. 

Link watched him leave before looking back at Remy who looked very much like a guilty child as he suddenly took great interest in reading the papers in his hand. 

“If you tell Zelda, I’ll never hear the end of it,” he grumbled, folding them roughly and shoving them in his pocket as he groaned and stood from the bed, holding his hand on his lower back for support. 

Link reached out his hand when he noticed how unsteady he was on his feet and Remy took it gladly, pulling him into a side hug before ruffling his hair and pushing him away affectionately. 

“Let’s go home, son,” he sighed, following Link down the hallway.

On the ride home, Remy let his own mind wander in the stillness that fell between them. It was so different than the quietness he'd displayed before so many months ago. This Link was almost an entirely different person than the pale, timid boy who had almost hid behind Zelda the first time they'd met. He remembered watching him struggle to string his words together as he sat on their couch with a tremble in his hands and his eyes never lifting from the floor when he admitted to the abuse he'd been experiencing at home. He would never forget the look of exhaustion on his face and the palpable relief that washed over him the moment he realized he could stay there with them. Now his silence came with an air of comfort. He could tell so clearly that he was holding himself together despite what had to have been a high stress situation for him. Where once he would have needed constant reassurance and hours to process his thoughts alone, now he appeared outwardly calm, having steadied himself without the need of any external stimulus. He didn't ask for help, he simply offered his own when he sensed that they had needed it. He wasn't sure he could be any prouder of him than he already was.

It was incredibly difficult for Remy to imagine that the boy driving so cautiously beside him had once not been a part of his life at all. That he'd spent 17 years being neglected and made to believe he was worthless while him and Zelda lived a life full of love and comfort just a few blocks away. That he would have potentially lost his life without any fanfare, fading away from a world that had forgotten him before it could even remember him at all. It was amazing to him how quickly he'd truly felt like family. Like he'd been meant to be with them all along.

"Thank you," he said as Link made the last turn down their street.

It took him a minute to respond as he carefully checked both ways for incoming traffic just like Remy had taught him. 

"You're welcome," he said with a small smile. 

Remy had no way of knowing how much that thank you would mean to him and how he would hold onto it dearly, letting it replace any other invasive thought he would have for the rest of the night if only to remind him that he was worth his place in their family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ms. Ocean doesn't say the F word," a 6 year old said to another 6 year old today in my class.   
> Meanwhile, I do enjoy listening to Megan thee Stallion on the way to work. I mean, twinkle twinkle. 
> 
> Fuck being good, I'm a bad bitch. Okay. Here's this chapter way later than when I meant to post it. I'm slowing down here towards the end. I'm not sure if it's because it's just of hard for me to say goodbye or if endings are just slow in general. Had to throw a little scare in there, but y'all know I can't kill Remy. He's basically everyone's dad now. Graduation here we come!


	46. Chapter 46

The day of graduation snuck up on both of them and before they knew it, they were standing in the kitchen in their best clothes with Zelda’s tongue stuck between her teeth as she used her fingers to maneuver through his hair which had since grown to kiss the tops of his shoulders. He savored the feeling of her fingers running through it just as much as she’d grown obsessed with playing it. Neither of them had any inclination to mention getting it cut so it continued to grow and Zelda continuously found new ways to fix it that pleased both of them. She was curling the long sideburns by his ears around her fingers when a man’s voice that wasn’t Remy’s briefly startled both of them.    


Link jerked upright immediately from where he’d been slumped towards her and before she realized what he was doing, he had her caged between him and the bar with an outstretched arm.    


“Where is everyone?” Zelda heard the unmistakable boom of her uncle’s voice from the living room and she couldn’t help but smile. Her father had mentioned that they may come to the ceremony but she wasn’t sure if they would be able to make it or not with her aunt’s busy work schedule. They must have decided to surprise her instead of mentioning it. She hadn't seen them in over a year and the thought of hugging her aunt again made her arms itch as she stood behind Link who was now rigid before her.    


But as she grew excited at the prospect of seeing her family again, she could see Link clenching his jaw as well as strengthening his grip on the lip of the kitchen counter. She watched as the line of muscles hardened from his wrist to his elbow and it occurred to her that he was doing it to protect her from what he subconsciously perceived as a threat. It had taken him weeks before he finally stopped flinching at the sound of her father entering the room when he had first come to live with them and she recognized some of that same body language from him in that moment. She wrapped her arm around his forearm and kissed just above his elbow where it was bent towards her.    
  
“It’s okay, it’s just my aunt and uncle," she said gently.   


He loosened slightly and let out a long breath as he let go of the counter.    


“Oh,” he said, somewhat embarrassed at his own behavior.    


He didn’t get a chance to apologize before they saw Remy leading a couple through the entryway of the kitchen. Zelda’s aunt bore a striking resemblance to Remy with her sandy hair and dark eyes. She appeared much younger than him and so did her husband who stood beside her. He sported a well trimmed beard with a tan that spoke of someone who lived in the Gerudo region. They were both dressed formally as one might expect for attending a graduation ceremony. Zelda lit up at the sight of them and Link stepped away from her when he felt her excited movement behind him.    


“There’s my girl!” the woman grinned as she opened her arms. Zelda quickly flew from behind Link and into her open embrace as the men clapped each other on the back. They fell into a comfortable chatter and Link immediately felt a sense of displacement as he watched them. He felt as if he were intruding on something private as the woman cooed over how beautiful Zelda looked and began congratulating her on finishing school. While they fawned over Zelda, he took the opportunity to slip out the back door, assuming his presence wasn’t wanted anymore. He didn’t have the backstory they did or the familial connection. He wasn’t needed there.    


It took Zelda only a moment to orient herself after the initial greeting was over and she quickly turned from them in order to introduce him to her family, frowning when she noticed him missing.    


“He’s out back,” Remy said casually, having watched Link out of the corner of his eye from the moment they entered the kitchen. He was worried the day would be too overwhelming for him and had almost asked his sister to wait until after the ceremony to visit, but he knew they hadn’t seen her in almost a year and wanted to see Zelda’s reaction to when she finally saw her again. It had been worth it until he noticed the look on Link’s face as he quietly removed himself. 

He motioned out the kitchen window to Link sitting on their deck furniture, his chin rested on his knees with a pensive look on his face. It wounded Remy’s heart to think he still thought to distance himself from other people. He wondered how long it would take to break the cycle of thinking that ultimately led him there. He had done and said everything he could possibly think of to make Link comfortable and to remind him he was part of their family, but it was hard to break years of mental conditioning that had taught him he had nothing to give.    


“Oh, isn’t he pretty,” he heard his sister Zinnia's voice as she and Zelda stood side by side watching him through the kitchen window.    


“I know,” Zelda grinned as her aunt bumped her with her hip.    


“And look at that hair.”   


“I  _ know,” _ she responded even more fondly, causing him to roll his eyes.    
  
“Well, when do we get to meet the kid?,” Zelda’s Uncle Seamus interrupted all of them, crossing his arms from where he stood beside Remy.    


“Just be gentle, please,” Remy breathed through his nose as he walked to the back door to retrieve him.    
  
Zinnia and Seamus shared a look as he walked out back, watching as he offered a hand which Link took, pulling him up from his seat. He seemed to say something quietly in his ear before gently encouraging him to enter the kitchen.    
  
Zinnia could hardly contain herself, running towards him to wrap him in a hug as he stiffened. Zelda only looked on in amusement as he stood there and awkwardly took it, knowing how uncomfortable he found anyone touching him that wasn't her, but smiling at the fact he was trying so hard to accept it. Her uncle walked up soon after and slapped him hard on the back in his usual greeting, causing him to stumble slightly forward with a light gasp. Remy immediately shot Seamus a scathing look and he held up both his hands in a placating gesture before laughing and turning back to Link.    
  
“Well its nice to finally meet you kid!” 

Remy huffed out a breath and shoved his hands in his pockets as Link seemed not to react more than to stumble back to where he’d been standing. 

“I’ve heard so much about you!” Zinnia grinned as she looked him over.    


Link forced himself to look up at the two of them before flickering his eyes over to the safety of Zelda whose look of contentment did wonders to rearrange the pieces inside of him that had fallen askew the moment his place of safety was intruded. She strode over to him and wrapped her fingers around his, offering him an escape as she suggested everyone move to the living room. 

He sat squished beside Zelda in an armchair while Zinnia and Seamus got comfortable on the couch and Remy stretched his back in his recliner. They talked for what felt like hours, reminiscing on Zelda’s childhood. Zinnia recounted the weeks she’d lived with Remy and Zelda after his wife’s passing. How she’d done her best to make sure she’d have fond memories to help sustain her through what was a very confusing time for such a small child. Link listened but said nothing as he tried to understand a world in which an adult would be so empathetic of a child’s feelings. His own parents had certainly never been that way. Even his mother. On the days she seemed to enjoy his company, it was only when he could match her manic energy. The moment he started to need her, she would pull away from him and accuse him of exhausting her. His opinions and feelings were a nonissue to them. The more he realized how atypical that was arrangement was, the more it made him feel fractured. Like he’d been living in a different world than everyone else all this time and was only now starting the process of catching up. 

“So Link, do you have anyone from your family coming tonight?” Seamus asked when a lull in the conversation left the room quiet. 

Remy’s eyes immediately darted over to him after having closed them to quietly grimace through a fresh ache in his back. Link shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat before answering as Zelda leaned into his side. 

“I think maybe my mom,” everyone could hear the uncertainty in his voice, but thankfully none of them pushed him further on the subject. Instead, Remy folded up the bar on his recliner and stood when he noticed the time.    


“Don’t you two have to get there soon?” he asked and could see Link visibly relax when Zelda squealed beside him and pulled him from the chair. He already had a smile on his face as she bounced through the living room, stopping to check her hair and makeup in the entryway mirror one more time before turning the doorknob. 

“Wait!” Remy hollered before they could leave the house, “I need a picture!”

“ _ Daaaaad,”  _ she whined, but it was more for show than anything else. Her smile was still plastered across her face as she clicked the door shut and turned back around. She could feel Link immediately try to pull away from her and step back but she grabbed his arm and drug him right back to stand beside her. He shuffled uncomfortably until he looked up and saw Remy aiming his slate in their direction with no indication that he wanted only Zelda in the photo. 

“Now smile you two!” 

With the click of the slate something inside him snapped into place. They truly were celebrating him as much as they were Zelda. At no point had they looked past him or spoke over him. They simply included him as if it were the most natural thing to do. When Zelda grabbed his hand and pulled him through the door he felt firmly what had been skirting around at the edges of his heart for months now. This really was his family. No matter how hard his brain tried to convince him they were simply biding their time until they could drop him, he belonged right there. He bit back a grin as he briefly wondered where that particular photo would be framed and hung in their house. 

When the door closed behind them, Remy let out a sigh and the hand holding his slate fell limp at his side. 

“Well aren’t they precious,” he heard his sister say as she walked up to stand beside him, “Leora would have loved him. He reminds me of her. Very quiet. Seems like a gentle soul. I can hardly imagine him going through what you told me.”

Though her words were kind they sent another recycled wave of grief across his heart. Milestones were hard without her. Some days he felt a particular kind of guilt that he could continue on enjoying their daughter without her at his side. But when he looked back down at the slate and saw Zelda beaming back at him he allowed himself to feel the joy that came with watching her succeed. To watch her grow and find happiness. To find  _ love.  _ His eyes shifted over to Link beside her and the feelings only intensified. He’d never realized until now just how much healthier he looked. His skin no longer sported the pallor he’d walked in with the first day they’d met, his cheekbones were now full instead of hollow, and his eyes seemed a lot bluer than the dull grey he remembered peering frightfully at him those first few days after the hospital. He lifted his free hand to swipe at his eyes before saving the image to his favorites folder. 

“Don’t get emotional on me, old man!” Zinnia laughed beside him, “We should go soon too so we can get good seats. I want them to hear me yelling for them when they walk across the stage.” 

* * *

The graduation ceremony was held in the coliseum style building on campus usually reserved for basketball games. The usually shiny ball court floor was covered in thick carpeted mats designed to make the arena look more like a place to host formal events than a sports arena. A small stage was erected where school staff would hand out diplomas and placed in front were rows upon rows of chairs where students were to sit in alphabetical order.    
  
Mipha, Paya, and Riju barreled into them the moment their eyes met in the parking lot as they awaited instructions on how to enter the building. Their conversation was so high pitched and so laced with embraces and giggles that it was almost difficult to decipher what they were even saying, but Link allowed them to crush him together with them and even accepted their compliments when they noticed how dressed up for the occasion he was. They were used to seeing him in sweats or a t-shirts, so his freshly pressed shirt and tie he had on under his gown was cause for a small commotion that left him red faced but grinning at the same time as they made a show of ogling him. Their joy was contagious and he found himself laughing right along with them.    
  
But soon a faculty member started shuffling them into order and before he realized it, he was on his own. Zelda held onto him until the last moment, their fingers just slipping apart as she mouthed an “I love you” before disappearing into the crowd. As he stood in line in his long gown with his hands anxiously wringing before him, he couldn’t help but think of his father. 

“ _ I don’t need a school to tell me how stupid you are. I don’t want to see any more of those damn report cards.” _

He took his place between two people he’d likely seen thousands of times but to him felt like complete strangers. For him, school was simply a place to escape. While his classmates had been working towards futures, he’d been breathing through the pain of another broken rib or resting his heart to endure the torment of always waiting for the day his mother would wake up and realize there was more to life than a pill bottle and her bed. 

“ _ Get your ass out of that book. Why do you even try? You know you're not worth shit.” _

Around him, he listened as the band performed some song that had evidently held some special meaning to the school, but he’d never heard before. It was the same with the choir. He realized that he didn’t honestly even know what the mascot of their school was or any of this information about it that everyone around him seemed to revel in with pride. Sport team accomplishments. Robotics. People from past graduating classes that had gone on to do great things. All of it was news to him while others seemed to rejoice in being reminded of the greatest that was their school. He’d been so busy simply trying to make it to the next day that he’d never had the opportunity to enjoy any of it or to allow himself to feel a part of it at all. 

_ “They will never let you graduate. If you’re lucky, you’ll end up cleaning the bathrooms. If they even allow your sorry ass back in the building.” _

When they finally called his row to stand up, his legs shook beneath him and his mind tried to weave him a story of deceit just as it always did. Was he sure he was supposed to be there? What if they called the person in front of him but not his name afterwards? Is he even on the list? What if it’s all a huge mistake and he’s about to embarrass himself in front of everyone? The palpitations in his chest increased at an alarming rate until he felt his face flush and he clawed at the tight collar of his shirt.   
  
“ _ No one wants you. You’re a parasite. We should have aborted you the moment we found out. I regret every minute I have allowed you to poison our family.” _

_ “ _ Link Alexander Faron,” Mr. Agus drowned out the apparition of his father’s voice as he announced his name into the microphone.

At the sound of his name, the crowd burst into applause and for the first time, he could hear it. He could just almost make out the sound of Remy in the stands yelling, “That’s my boy!” as he crossed the stage and took the placeholder for his diploma from Mr. Agus who broke his neutrally pleasant expression to pull him into a quick hug, whispering, “I’m so proud of you” into his ear before patting his back and letting him go. He wouldn’t hear his father’s voice again for the rest of the night. 

Instead, his ears were filled with a stadium full of people clapping, joined by the sounds of his own as Zelda crossed the same stage he did. When she finally sat back in her seat a few rows behind him, he couldn’t stop himself from turning in his chair and smiling at her. He didn’t have to wait long for her reaction since she’d already had her eyes glued on him. She blew him a kiss that left him as woozy as if she’d flown across the space and planted a real one on his lips. He blushed, turning back around as the rest of the ceremony passed by in a blur. 

When it concluded the entire building erupted into a cacophony of noise as the caps were thrown in the air. Link didn’t like the idea of losing his so he held onto it, clutching it to his chest as all the bodies around him swarmed out of their seats. He could feel his heart beating in his throat as he was pushed around the floor. People blurred into colors, individual sounds blended into one continuous stream of noise that was making him feel dizzy. But then he saw her. She pushed through the crowd to him, drawn to his presence as if they were connected on either end of a single string. When she got close enough, she leapt into his arms and the pure joy that emanated off of her permeated through all his anxieties. He heard himself laughing as he held onto her, causing her feet to barely kiss the floor as he spun her around. 

“We did it,” she said into his ear, ticking his neck with her hot breath. 

“We did it,” he agreed, setting her down so he could admire the blush across her cheeks. 

She tilted her head, her hands softly resting on each of his cheeks as she bore into him with her eyes. He thought he might lift off the ground and fly directly into the spirit realm with all the love and adoration she was pouring into him. 

“Let’s go find everyone,” she said as she swiped at the wetness he hadn’t known was at the corner of his eyes, lifting up on her tiptoes to kiss him sweetly before taking his hand and leading him through the crowd. 

It didn’t take long to spot the almost comically large silhouette of Remy amongst the crowd and shortly after Zelda’s aunt and uncle. They swooped both of them into a family hug that had them all breathless before they broke apart and Zelda started talking excitedly with her aunt. Remy watched as Link stepped back and scanned the crowd eagerly. He felt his stomach turn in on itself realizing who he was looking for. 

He’d called the facility multiple times on different days before the ceremony to double check that Mara had received the invitation. He’d even offered to send a car to pick her and Mrs. Bolson up in case she needed to be chaperoned. Mrs. Bolson had told him multiple times that Mara was aware of the date and time and that they would gladly escort her there if she chose to attend. They were a family facility and encouraged such outings. He’d called again just after Link and Zelda had left earlier that day and was told that Mara hadn’t left her room for any of the day's activities. She had even refused to go therapy or take her medication and he was told that it was unlikely she would show up. It had sat like a stomach ache in his core for the entire ceremony and he battled with himself the entire time on how he was going to break it him. His palms were sticky with sweat as he found himself utterly unprepared for it now that the time had finally come. 

“I tried to call, I promise,” he said, pulling Link closer to him so he could hear what he was saying over the noise. 

“Maybe she just couldn't find you. Maybe she came on her own,” Link said, his eyes still darting back and forth at the throngs of people that seemed to be swimming around them, hoping that maybe he might see her face behind the next body that shifted out of the way. 

“They said she was having a difficult day today,” Remy tried, but he could tell Link wasn’t really processing his words. 

“There’s a lot of people here. Maybe she’s lost,” the tone of his voice slowly shifted as he gradually stepped back to stand by Remy. 

“She’s not here, Link. I’m sorry.”

The look on his face when it hit him was enough to make Remy feel as though his own heart had melted and puddled at the floor at his feet. He’d been in such good spirits for most of the day and when he saw him and Zelda with a look of pure bliss between them as they pushed through the crowd, part of him had wanted to lie. To say that she’d come and he’d just missed her, if only to avoid what he was seeing now. 

He could see the pain that crossed across his features as clearly as if he’d just been slapped across the face. He cursed both of Link’s parents under his breath for still having that power over him. No matter how much time and distance he put between them, no matter how much love and attention they gave him, they still held his heart in their hands, bruising it just as carelessly as they always had. There were times with him when Remy could clearly see the little boy he once was. It was never more evident than in that moment where Link seemed to wheel through whatever mental gymnastics he had to in order to hold himself together in front of everyone, squeezing the blue fabric of his gown with a tight fist as he ran his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Do you need a minute?” Remy leaned in to ask him, pained to see him struggling on a day that should have been one of celebration. 

Link nodded quickly and Remy pulled him close, giving his shoulder a good squeeze before offering to cover for him for a few moments. Link whispered a “thank you” under his breath before slipping through the crowd.    
  
As he lost the sight of Link’s back, he heard the voices of all the girls who had somehow found them harmonizing together as they crowded around Zelda who reintroduced them to her family. It only took her half a second before he could see her eyes darting around for him. They’d been nearly inseparable since Link’s visit with Mara and Remy certainly hadn’t been blind to it. He had noticed that they could almost sense when the other had left the room and it would only be a matter of time before one of them stopped what they were doing to go search for them. He could see the same longing look on her now as her frown deepened when she couldn’t immediately find him. 

“He ran to the restroom, he’ll be back,” Remy said when he got close enough for her to hear him over the crowd. 

She narrowed her eyes at him and turned back to the group gathered behind her. 

“Be right back!” she waved to them as she pushed closer to her father who should have known she would be able to read him better than that. 

“She didn’t come did she?” she let her voice fall as soon as the noise of the crowd ensured no one would overhear. 

All Remy could do was shake his head and point a finger in the direction Link left in, wondering how she would ever find him in the chaos but realizing that somehow she would. They always found a way back to each other eventually. 

Zelda let out a breath and hurried away from him, determined to catch up with Link before he had too much time alone. She pushed through the mob of people for what felt like forever until her heart pulled her to the outside of the building where he would be more likely to find some solace. She walked around the circular sidewalk until she saw the shape of him huddled just under the awning of a back doorway. The sun had long since set, leaving him draped only in the soft illumination of the flickering light above him as he sat with his face buried in his knees and his arms wrapped around his legs. She sat beside him and put a tentative hand on his back. He startled initially at the contact and when he lifted his face she could see the evidence of freshly shed tears. He seemed to deflate when he saw her, lifting his hands up to wipe at his cheeks while she rubbed his back. 

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered, ashamed that she had to find him that way yet  again _.  _ He knew she didn’t have to put up with his constant mood swings or the way he could be fine one moment and shut off the next when his brain decided to turn on him or remind him off all he'd endured. He did his best not to let it inconvenience her or weigh her down, but he couldn’t help but see his mother in himself when she would stumble upon him at his worst. But she said nothing as she pulled him close to her, holding him with their heads bowed together as he sniffed through the last of it. 

“She didn’t come,” he said softly, leaning into her so that he could feel her breath on his skin. 

“I know,” she reached up her hand to cradle his face, using her thumb to wipe the sticky wetness she found there. 

“You don’t have to be here, I’ll be fine. Go be with your family.”

“I am with my family.”

“You’re real family,” he sighed, leaning his back against the cold stone of the building, letting his head roll away from hers as a fresh wave of grief hit him. 

“Hey,” the firmness in her voice made his head slowly turn back to her, “Look at me”

Her face was serene, cast in shadow as it was by the dull orange fluorescent lamp that hung above them. There was no animosity hiding in the darkness of her eyes, no indication that she was irritated or put out with him. There was only patience and the softness that came with pure, unbridled affection. He found himself drawn to it but there was still a voice in the back of his head that told him he didn’t deserve it. He was unwanted. From the day he’d been born until now, he was a burden. A curse. He’d broken his family apart and no matter how hard he tried to piece it back together or convince himself he'd escaped the pain of it, something always came back around to remind him of it. He was not allowed happiness. It was the debt he had to pay for existing. 

“You  _ are  _ my family, Link. Family isn’t just aunts and uncles or grandpas...or mothers,” she said softly, her fingers trailing up his leg until she pried his off the thin fabric of his graduation gown to entwine with hers, “You are as much my family as my dad. Or Aunt Zinnia. I would be lost without you. I know we’re young but when I think about my life in the future, you’re always right there at the center of it. You’re my forever, Link.” 

He closed his eyes and consumed her words like a starving man. It was what he’d craved his entire life; to simply have his love reciprocated. It was what he’d been searching for as he stood knocking on his mother’s locked bedroom door as she stuffed her head into her mattress and ignored him. It was what he imagined for himself when he closed his eyes to daydream a life where he was wanted. But he didn’t have to daydream anymore. He didn’t have to knock. She was there, right there with him. And she  _ did  _ want him. All of him, despite his faults, despite how difficult he felt it was to love him. She contradicted everything he had believed about himself for so long and for once, he could see the truth in her words. He suddenly felt embarrassed that he’d allowed himself to step away from her to mourn over someone who so clearly disregarded him whenever it proved too inconvenient for her. Because that’s all he’d ever been to her. An inconvenience. A mistake. He had spent so many years trying to prove her wrong, that he was worthy of her love, that he had started to believe her over himself. But then there was Zelda, who took his faults and found beauty in them, who loved him regardless. He pulled her close and thread his fingers in her hair, hoping he could say with touch all of what he was truly feeling for her in that moment, feeling as though there were no words substantial enough that he could manage to speak. 

He pulled back after some time, a small smile on his face that she immediately mirrored and to him, it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. 

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” he said with a tilt of his head as he stared at her. 

She flushed, tucking her lip under her teeth as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head. 

“It’s not that you’re not always beautiful,” he stuttered then, his sudden boost of confidence leaving him all too quickly, “just especially...right now.”

She laughed then and the sound of it left him feeling more relaxed than if he’d just left a long shower. Her face fell into a smile of contentment as she leaned forward and captured his lips in a kiss. It was a kiss that held the promise of many more. A lifetime, perhaps. If he were lucky. And he felt especially lucky right then. 

“Are you ready to go home?” she asked when she finally pulled away, a rosy tint to both her nose and cheeks. 

“I am home,” he replied, leaning in to kiss her again. 

When they finally managed to find Remy and the others in the parking lot sometime later, her aunt made a show of bursting into laughter and smoothing Zelda’s hair from where Link had ruffled it. 

Zelda immediately grimaced, her eyes flashing to her father who took them in a moment before sighing and tucking the collar of Link’s shirt back into place. 

“Ready to get out of here and go put on some comfortable clothes? I’m sick of wearing this damn tie,” he said, choosing for once not to give them a hard time. 

“I folded your joggers this morning,” she winked at Link before giggling at the way his eyes seemed to light up. 

“Let’s go home,” Link said, taking Zelda’s hand and leading her to the car. 

When they were out of earshot, happily leaning into each other as they walked, Zinnia bumped into Remy with a giggle, encouraging him to follow. 

“So I get to be a great auntie soon,” she laughed. 

Remy sighed, but couldn’t help the smile that flashed across his face. Whatever the future held, they would withstand it together. If they could get through the past year they’d faced, they could take on anything, he was sure of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOooooh this so reads like an ending but I think there may just be one more chapter after this. I want to write Link's birthday and wrap up Mara for good. Or at least, give some sense of closure there. 
> 
> I'm so very sorry this took me almost 2 weeks to get out. When I'm off, I'm off. I think I'm actually ready for this to be wrapped up now. It'll be my first long fic I've ever finished. See you at the finish line, it's been a ride!


	47. Chapter 47

Zelda had planned out the summer of her senior year for ages. All the places she would go to, all the things she’d do. She had wanted to travel on her own out of the kingdom, try all the foods in every region, live a thousand lives in those few months of freedom before college. She had all of it written down in that scatterbrained way that all clicked together for her but looked like madness to everyone else. But what she hadn’t anticipated was the pure joy that would come simply from getting to stay home unhindered with Link. There was a peace that came with stumbling into his room early in the morning only to fall back to sleep with him wrapped around her, a soft contentment in their combined giggles as they made inappropriate jokes while watching television, a feeling of home as she pushed her face into the crook of his neck, feeling the stubble he'd missed when he shaved. All of it was so much more fulfilling than it had any right to be, but she was living for it. 

Those first few weeks after graduation it was like he truly woke up for the first time. There was no stress, no responsibility, no tragedy waiting on the horizon. He hadn’t mentioned his mother again since graduation, not even in a passing comment. Zelda hadn’t decided if he had come to some silent, bitter acceptance of her true nature or if he was ignoring it again, but part of her thrived in this new version of him that rose each morning, or sometimes late afternoon, with a sleepy grin as she rolled even deeper into the dip he left in the soft mattress, only to come up laughing or blushing when their hands inevitably strayed, tumbling apart before Remy came looking for them. 

He had been sleeping much more soundly with the help of his new medication and even had his therapy cut down to once a month, which he seemed incredibly grateful for. As much as it helped him, he seemed to enjoy the feeling of independence and the thought that he might one day be able to function without it. He smiled more, laughed more, and was always eager for whatever Zelda had planned for him each morning, even if it was just tagging along while she went to the office. 

But life always had a way of reminding him of his differences and shortcomings as if the Goddesses just couldn’t stand to see him stable for too long. It came one morning in the form of a letter addressed to Zelda from The University of Sheikah Studies. She had no hesitation ripping it open and reading its contents. With her test scores and GPA there was little doubt of her acceptance, but she wanted to see it printed on the official document anyway. Sure enough, a grin spread across her face before she looked up at her father and handed him the letter to read for himself. 

“Look I did it, Dad!” she beamed proudly as he grew a smile of his own that lifted the corners of his ever graying mustache into the folds of his cheeks. 

“I never had any doubt, my evil genius,” he winked at her before pulling her into a congratulatory hug. 

Link sat quietly as he usually did, watching the two of them while he picked at his cuticles. He picked up the letter while they were busy excitedly chatting about housing and tuition and majors and ran his finger over the embossed seal of the university which looked a lot like the head of an ancient guardian. This particular letter was one he knew he would never receive. 

He vaguely remembered the beginning of the school year where their teachers had preached about entry tests and gave them advice on writing letters for scholarships and how to be admitted into their schools of choice. They had even dedicated an entire day to it, but it had been one he’d missed. He’d missed an entire week right at the start of school due to injuries he couldn't easily hide. His father had been irritated at having been called to pick him up early from school after one of his teachers found him napping on his notebook and sent him to the nurse's office. They'd discovered he was running a high fever and although he did his best to downplay it and insist he would be fine to walk himself home, they'd called anyway. He must have fallen asleep on the ride home and instead of gently waking him, his father had simply opened the car door and he’d tumbled to the ground face first, his things scattering all across the driveway as his father pulled out and went back to work. He lifted his hand to massage the left side of his skull as he remembered how swollen his face had been for days afterwards. 

“You good? Need a drink?” Remy asked when he saw Link holding the side of his head while looking down with an almost pained expression on his face at the letter that now sat loose on the counter top. 

“No, I’m fine,” he smiled softly before turning to Zelda, lowering his hand to his lap, “I’m really proud of you. That’s the one you wanted right?”

Her own excitement seemed to drain from her face as she picked up on his shift in energy. She shuffled her feet until she was right beside him, not content until her own bar stool was as close to his as possible without her practically crawling into his lap. 

“I applied for this before we met. But yeah, that’s the one I wanted. Where did you apply for? We did it at school, remember? Did you get to do that?” she asked cautiously, almost afraid of what his answer would be. 

His face twitched nervously as he tried to come up with a gentle way to say it. He had told them a lot about his past, but never the full scope of exactly how vile his father had treated him. It was almost embarrassing in a way that made him feel like it was something he had chosen, even when everyone was constantly reminding him it was not. Why hadn’t he just run away? Why didn’t he tell anyone? They were questions he couldn’t even answer for himself, much less try to explain to someone else. For the longest time, he assumed all fathers were harsh. As he grew older and gained more insight into the lives of other people, he had shifted his thinking into believing he simply deserved it. Then there was his mother. He’d been threatened his entire childhood into believing that if he left, something would happen to her, whether it came in the form of his father’s fury or some outside force didn’t matter, in the end he knew it would be because of him. So he stayed and endured. Some things he'd decided would best be left unsaid, some small part of him hoping that the memories would eventually be so far in the past he would no longer be able to make out the details of them. Perhaps those wounds would heal over and he'd be left with only a vague scar he couldn't place the origin of. 

“I was absent that day,” he settled on, knowing full well they would read between the lines and catch his meaning. 

“Oh,” Zelda said softly, “Well did you take any of the tests? I know they were kind of expensive, but the school paid for some of it.”

Remy folded his arms as he watched Link struggle, keeping his jaw tight as he kept himself from asking what exactly had kept him from school that day. There was the protective part of him that wanted to know everything so that he could start the process of righting every wrong that had occurred in Link’s life, but then there was his rational side that reminded him that all it would do was stir up suffering he could do nothing about now. It was a dizzying back and forth that often left him quiet as he watched how Link chose to handle it. 

“I asked Dad if I could and he said he wouldn’t pay for it, so I asked if I could work around the house. Then he said I could do that. So I did a lot of stuff that was kind of hard. I cleaned out the crawlspace under our house, I got on a ladder and scooped all the nasty stuff from the gutters. I don’t remember what else I did, but it was a lot,” he explained as he traced the lines on the counter with his fingers. 

“Did you earn enough?” Zelda asked, leaning in to help calm the nervous movements of his body that always seemed to ramp up when he talked about his past. She put a hand on his thigh to ease the bouncing of his leg, which worked momentarily until he started talking again.

“No. He said I owed him that much and more and that I was stupid for thinking he’d give me money for a test I’d fail. He was probably right, I doubt I would have passed it anyway.”

Zelda’s words of encouragement died in her throat as she looked over crestfallen at her father for help. Somehow, in the midst of the storm of anger that was brewing inside him as he once again imagined pushing Link’s father out of his own truck so that his own head would bounce off the ground, he knew exactly what to do. 

“You don’t need to take any test, you’re taking a gap year,” he announced, the firmness in his voice leaving no room for argument. 

“A what?” Link asked, having never heard the term before. 

“A year of nothing. No school. No tests. No one...judging you on some arbitrary skill that’s not even really important in the long run. Do you know what those tests say about a person? How well you can take a test. You want to know how many times I failed mine?”

Link looked on intrigued with a crease in his brow as Remy continued. 

“I failed mine twice. And look at me now, I’m the CEO of the most successful tech company in Hyrule. Zelda is going to go on to school because if she takes time off she’ll go crazy, but you are going to stay here with me and just live. You can work if you want, sleep all day if you want. Whatever you need to do. I think after all you’ve had to suffer through this past year, not to mention your entire life, you deserve it. And I'm going to give it to you.”

Link immediately shot his eyes over to where Zelda was as if he were looking for approval or permission but Remy clicked his tongue loudly several times, making his turn his attention back to him.

“It’s not her choice, and in fact, I’m going to not even giving you one either unless you put up a really strong argument against it. You need it, Link. You’re taking a gap year.”

His speech finished, he leaned back on the counter to alleviate some of the tension in his freshly healed back from the small surgery he’d had to fix the disk he’d injured in his fall at work. He was supposed to be resting, but was too nosey to let Zelda and Link run the house while he stretched across his bed like he was supposed to. He was grateful he’d decided to wander into that particular conversation before it headed into another direction. He watched Link carefully as he picked apart his words. They had both learned that he took just a moment longer to process things than they did and were happy to give him that extra space in conversation he needed before he would voice his own thoughts. They settled into that familiar silence as Link scratched at the back of neck before finally looking up. 

“Okay,” Link said eventually, letting out a long breath as he let his shoulders relax. But as soon as the words left his lips, he looked right at her. She was doing her best to hide her disappointment but he could see it in her eyes and the slight downward tilt of her mouth. His heart immediately started doing flips, worried he’d upset her by agreeing. 

“Or I can try to take those tests now. Maybe they’ll still let me in or-”   
  
“No!” Zelda cut him off before immediately lowering her voice, “No, you don’t have to do that. He’s right. It’s just…I’ll miss you,” she pouted, lowering her forehead to rest on his shoulder as Link looked up helplessly at Remy. 

It was a new habit Remy had noticed he’d picked up and it hit him a certain way each time he did it. Whenever Link felt overwhelmed in any capacity he always looked to Remy. While Zelda was certainly his emotional support, Remy provided for him what he’d never had before. A real parent. An adult that truly had his best intentions at heart. Whenever their eyes would meet in those moments where Link's first reaction was to search for his help, Remy would wonder how it was he’d gone 17 years without knowing the boy who was so clearly meant to be his son. It made him want to wrap him in a bear hug and ruffle his hair. But as Link looked on at him in distress, he simply smiled, knowing that if this was the only hardship he had now in his life, he’d done something to rectify that loss of time. 

“Don’t give him a hard time, Zee. Your campus is only an hour away. You can come home between classes if you want and you can video call all you want too. I have you on unlimited for a reason,” he laughed, looking down at his slate that was buzzing in his palm. He frowned at the name on the screen before briefly flicking his eyes up to Link who was too busy quietly consoling Zelda to notice. 

“I’ll be right back,” he excused himself, slipping into his office as he answered the line. 

Once they were alone, Link wrapped his arm around Zelda and kissed the top of her head before laying his own on top of hers. 

“I can come visit. It’ll give me lots of practice driving.”

She sat up and turned her whole body so that she could face him, her heart stilling at the look of concern on his face. 

“I just don’t want to leave you,” she said gently, sighing as she finally accepted it. 

Link had to fight himself not to pout right along with her. There was no part of him that looked forward to not living under the same roof as her. He had felt so at home those last few weeks where both of them were free from schedules and they could spend as much uninterrupted time together as they wanted. He loved that they could either talk endlessly or sit in comfortable silence and all of it felt like exactly where he needed to be. But the more he thought about the coming year, the more he realized that he couldn’t hold her back. He knew more than anyone how excited she was for college and he didn’t want to be the reason she didn’t go. She’d already given up so much of her senior year for him, there was no way he would ask her for more, especially when he felt he really would be okay on his own for a time while she went off and conquered the world or destroyed part of it, whichever came first. He knew deep down she'd always come back home to him. 

“I want you to go,” he said, causing her to look up from where she’d been wrapped in his arms, “I mean I don’t,” he added quickly, praying she hadn’t misunderstood him, “I just want you to be happy. And you’ve talked about going to this school for a long time and you should go. I’m going to miss you too, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here. I promise.”

As he spoke, a warmth spread across her chest until she couldn’t handle it anymore and she let the smile that had been built by his words lay softly across her face. He reclined slightly as he let himself relax, content that for once he’d manage to quell her upset like she was always doing for him. 

“You won’t be lonely?” she asked as he pushed his hair back out of his face. 

The look he gave her as she stared at him sent a shiver down her spine. For the briefest of moments, she could almost see him as he’d been all his life; shut behind a locked door. Even at school he’d been alone. Everyone referred to him as the quiet kid, half of them not even knowing what his name was. He ate lunch alone, did his work alone, suffered for all that time all alone. But his loneliness wasn’t built on a lack of people in his physical space, it came instead as a result of having no one to share his heart with. Up until Zelda, the only person who had ever shown him any kind of attention was his mother, and even her’s was fleeting. Though he may have truly been lonely then, he wouldn’t know that empty feeling ever again. Not as long as she was around. 

“You won’t let me be lonely,” he grinned at her and she couldn’t help but reach across to kiss him on the cheek before pulling him into the living room just so that she could snuggle up to him on the couch. 

Remy found them there sometime later, with Link curled into the cushions and Zelda sitting on her feet as she scrolled through her slate beside him. 

“Do you intentionally knock him out while watching movies or does he really just fall asleep like that?” he asked through a laugh, sitting in his recliner to stretch his back.

“Oh I elbow him directly in the skull each time. Keeps him on his toes,” she replied without looking up. 

Remy snorted before sighing and tapping his fingers on the soft leather.

“Do you remember that thing I talked to you about a few days ago?” he asked slowly and her eyes immediately lifted from her slate to narrow at him. 

“Yeah…”

“Well, she’s here.”

Her gaze darted over to Link as he readjusted in his sleep, a grimace flashing across his face before relaxing again. He was either having a nightmare or letting himself express the latent pain he still felt across his body. She didn’t know the severity of his physical abuse but she wasn’t blind to all the times he just couldn’t get comfortable or seemed fatigued from some old break that hadn’t been set right. Whatever it was passed quickly and his face fell back into the neutral expression he always had while sleeping, his mouth slightly ajar as his face squished into the fabric of the couch. 

“When is she coming?” she asked, putting a hand on his leg as he lay stretched towards her. 

“Later today.”

“ _ Dad!”  _ she tried to hiss quietly in an effort not to wake him up, “You should have told him days ago!”

“You know how he is! He would sit and torture himself over it and I can’t stand it,” he pinched the bridge of his nose before peeking his eye open at Zelda who was opening judging him with a soft scowl on her face. 

“He’s not made of glass. _Everyone_ gets nervous about stuff, he just needs time to think about it. He would have been better if you told him sooner. Now you have to spring it on him. That’s worse.”

Remy grumbled as he tried to find a way to sit that didn’t pinch his back but failed, sliding down deeper into the cushions before taking a look at Link serenely napping on his couch. He knew the meeting he had set up would benefit him in the long run, he just never knew how he would react to it. He never wanted to be a source of pain for Link, but this particular issue had been sitting on his heart since watching his face fall at graduation. When Ms. Leta had finally relented and given him the information he wanted, he felt some sense of gratification that he was doing the right thing, but when it came time to finally tell him, he wasn’t so sure. 

“Why don’t you guys go out to eat or something. Go buy Link some shorts. Does he wear shorts? He can’t wear those sweatpants all summer or I’ll call CPS on myself.”

Zelda unfolded her legs and gently nudged Link awake. He rubbed his eyes with his palms before turning over and squinting at the credits that were now scrolling slowly across the screen, fumbling around him until he found his glasses pushed down into the blanket he was wrapped in. 

“Did I…” he mumbled, the world coming back into focus the moment he balanced his glasses on the bridge of his nose. 

“Yep,” Zelda grinned at him, “But that’s okay. Wanna go shopping with me? I’m tired of sitting in the house and I want one of those bubble teas at the mall.”

He nodded as he stretched like a house cat, ruffling his hands through his hair. 

“Hey, uh…” Remy cleared his throat awkwardly, “We are having some company later. It’s kind of a...surprise of sorts. Can you be back by 6?”

Link looked over at Zelda who simply nodded, afraid she might slip and say something if she opened her mouth. Link’s eyes roved between the two of them skeptically a moment until Zelda started giggling. 

“ _What?_ ” he asked as she crawled over to him and folded the neckline of his shirt over to reveal the tag that was supposed to be at the back. 

“You’re shirt is on backwards” 

He reddened and pulled his arms inside so that he could spin it the right way. 

“Let’s go,” Zelda said with an offered hand. He took it gladly and headed out, leaving Remy to ruminate on what would come next. 

* * *

“Who is it? Whose coming?” Link asked for the second time as he sat beside Zelda after returning home from the mall. He had an iced coffee in one hand and a new shirt on the Zelda had insisted made his eyes look bluer. She sat beside him fidgeting with the clasp of her bag as it sat limp at her side, her eyes trained on the door. 

Remy straightened his own shirt before sighing and sitting on the edge of the armchair nearest the door in case she knocked. 

“Do you remember in the hospital when Ms. Leta was telling you all the places you could go after your parents...lost custody of you?” He started slowly. 

Link immediately gave him a glancing look before looking back down at his hands, feeling the familiar rolling tide of anxiety start to build in his stomach as he feared where this was heading. 

“Um...only a little.”

Remy heard the shake in his voice but soldiered on, praying he would understand once he got it all out. 

“Well, it's typical that a caseworker looks for a family member to place you with first. With you, they were a little stuck. You no longer have grandparents, but your mother does have a sister. Do you know her?”

Link only shook his head. He knew his grandparents were long gone, but he’d never heard of his aunt before. His family never had anyone over except for the people that Link now recognized were selling his father the illegal medications that his mother had been taking. His parents were all the family he knew he had. 

“Well, it would seem that you aren’t the only person your father had been telling lies to.”   


Before Link got a chance to respond, the doorbell rang and they all flinched. Remy let out a sharp breath before standing and turning to answer it. Link reached blindly for Zelda’s hand as he stared straight ahead at the door, finding it just as Remy turned the handle. 

“Welcome, I’m so glad you made it safely. Come on in.”

When Remy moved aside to let her through, Link’s breath stilled. For the briefest moment, he thought it was his mother standing there. Or rather, a healthy version of her he saw in his dreams. The woman before him resembled her so closely, except for her eyes. Her eyes were dark and not the blue Link shared with his mom. 

“Link, this is Marin, your mother’s sister. Your aunt. She’s traveled a long way to meet you.”

The woman looked sheepish as she clutched at her bag before her, her lip trembling as she took him in from where he hadn’t moved on the couch. 

“Oh you look _just_ like her,” she breathed as Remy extended a hand and encouraged her to sit down.

She sat gingerly in the armchair that had once been occupied by Remy while he walked over to cage Link between himself and Zelda on the couch. Link said not a word as he watched her mannerisms that were so familiar yet so distinctly different from his mother’s. 

“I live in Termina. It’s quite a ways from here. We’ve never met, though I did get a picture of you a long time ago in the mail. It was your third birthday I think. That was back when Mara was still speaking regularly to me...I was...um...surprised to hear from Mr. Hyrule here when he called. The last I heard they were considering putting you into a group home. That was after I…” she shifted her eyes over to Remy who nodded his head and encouraged her to continue. 

“Cyril started speaking for Mara when you were very little. He would tell me how ill she was and that she needed space and rest. I reached out so many times. I even traveled here once after not hearing from her for months, but he refused to let me in the door. Eventually he had her so brainwashed that she started sending me away herself. I’m ashamed to say I gave up after that. When I would ask about you, Cyril always had such nasty things to say. He told me you were defiant and aggressive and that he was handling you and didn’t need any help. So when the woman from social services called me last fall and asked me to take you in, I admit I was so frightened you may hurt one of my own children that I declined. I had no way of knowing what they were doing to you and I’m so sorry.”

“I assure you Link is neither defiant or aggressive,” Remy cut in when he saw Link adding this new information to the chaos that was his memories, “He’s been a very quiet, well mannered kid since the first time I met him. I have no doubt he always has been.”

“I can see that now,” Marin smiled through the wetness building at the edges of her eyes, “I have a boy about your age. If I had fought for you then, look at what all I could have stopped.”

Link opened his mouth which had gone dry as he tried to picture this new facet of his reality. He didn’t remember ever hearing mention of an aunt or that she’d even once been to their home. She was as foreign to him as any stranger, even though he could clearly see his mother in her features. He held no resentment towards her and her upset only served to make him feel uncomfortable. 

“It’s alright, you didn’t know,” he said wearily, still unsure of the intention behind her words. 

“But that’s not why you came, is it?” Remy asked, leading the conversation where he wanted it to go. 

“Well, not quite. I understand you’re comfortable here and have made a life for yourself. I would never ask you to uproot that for someone you just met,” Marin replied, finally tucking her bag to her side, “Unless that’s something you would like.” 

Zelda stifled a sharp breath as she leaned forward, unabashedly questioning her father with a sternness to her eyes he hadn’t seen in a long time. He simply shook his head, praying she’d get the message that this was for Link to decide and had nothing to do with them. 

“No, thank you,” Link said quietly, shifting on the couch so that he leaned further into Zelda, solidifying this place between them, “I’m...I’m happy here.”

Zelda let out an audible sigh of relief, squeezing his hand tightly. Even Remy felt himself release some of his own tension he'd been holding while they waited for Link to respond. Although he hadn’t anticipated Link jumping to leave, he knew he didn’t have it in him to fight it if he did. He wanted the best for him in the end, even if it ended up hurting himself in the process. He would not stand in the way of Link reconnecting to his family if that was what he chose. But he was not ashamed to admit to himself how happy he was that Link had chosen them over her. 

“I mean...I can stay, right? Is that why…” Link turned to look at Remy who immediately answered before that idea gained more traction than it already had. 

“Gods, of course! How many times do I have to tell you? This isn’t temporary, I promise. That’s not what I reached out to Marin for. I actually did it for your mom.”

“My mom?” his head whipped back to his aunt who looked at him sympathetically as his brain worked in overdrive to try and decipher what was happening. 

“Not only did Mr. Hyrule get me in touch with you, but I also got a chance to speak with Mara. She will be released soon and will need somewhere to go. I offered to let her come live with me and my family in Termina until she gets back on her feet. She agreed. I’m actually going later to sign some papers.”

“You’re going to take care of her?” Link nearly whispered, his shoulders falling as his entire body seemed to melt in Zelda’s direction. She sat silently, stroking the back of hand as his eyes raced back and forth on the coffee table, quietly supporting him as he processed it fully, “She’ll have a family?”

“She will,” Marin smiled at him, “It may have been a long time, but I still love my sister. I’m heartbroken I didn’t get a chance to love you too. You’re nothing like Cyril described. You seem like such a sweet boy.” 

“He is,” Remy agreed, patting him on the shoulder.

“Would you like to come with me to see her? If that’s okay with you, Mr. Hyrule,” Marin asked tentatively. 

Remy only looked over to Link, lifting his brows in question. 

Link’s mind was brimming with a menagerie of different thoughts that were flying in all different directions, hitting the side of his skull and colliding together behind his eyes until he could barely focus anymore. It was all so overwhelming, but in the midst of it, he remembered Zelda’s words at graduation and how they had soothed the pain his mother's absence had caused him once again. He remembered all the times he’d reached a hand out to his mother only to have it slapped away. He decided that if she truly loved him like she said she did, he was going to wait for her to reach for him. He wasn’t shutting the door on her as she did to him, instead, he’d leave it just cracked. It was up to her to push it the rest of the way open. 

“No, thank you.”   


Remy felt so much pride in him that in that moment he had to stop himself from crushing Link right then and there in a hug. They had been pushing and pushing for months to get him to finally choose himself first. To speak when something was uncomfortable or made him upset. To ask for things he needed. To not let the world steamroll him over until there was nothing left. Although he’d already been pushed deep into the pavement, his heart and body scraped and bruised, here he was, picking himself back up again.    
  
“I understand,” Marin responded kindly, throwing the strap of her bag back over as she made to stand, “I do have to get going now. I’ve been on the road for a long time and I have to get to the facility before they close their offices.” 

She stood and so did Remy, motioning for Link to do the same. 

“May I…” Marin asked timidly, lightly holding out her arms in invitation. 

Link nodded weakly and she wrapped her arms around him so softly he could barely feel her. It was brief and when she pulled away, she was wiping at the unshed tears in her eyes. 

“I am so sorry I didn’t fight for you. I had no idea, I promise. I would have never thought Mara would allow that to happen to her own child…” she sniffled, stepping back towards the door as Link stepped back to stand beside Remy. 

“It’s okay,” Link said, “I’m okay now.”

Marin nodded sharply before offering a hand to Remy who shook it lightly. She grabbed his large fist with her other hand, hugging it tightly. 

“I can’t thank you enough for reaching out to me,” she said as he nodded politely back to her as she turned to Link, letting go of Remy’s hand in the process, “And Link, just know that if you ever want to speak to your mother or even to me, I’m a call away, okay?”

“Okay”

Marin thanked Remy one more time before shuffling out of the doorway, the click of the doorknob leaving the family of three in a blanket of silence. Remy looked down at Link who still looked a little shell shocked. 

“You okay?” 

At the sound of his words, Link flew into his arms, wrapping his own around him tightly in a rare display of affection that was usually reserved only for Zelda. Remy immediately pulled him in closer, putting a hand on the back of his head to savor the moment while it lasted. 

When Link finally pulled away, he had tears in his eyes, but the look of pure relief on his face was so clear that it had all the second guessing and last minute phone calls he’d been sneaking in private the past few weeks worth it. 

“Thank you,” Link exhaled before turning to Zelda who simply offered him a content smile and bumped into his side, “Thank you so much.” 

“And just like that there are no more obstacles for you. You could go on and be a race car driver if you wanted,” Remy grinned back at him, ready to finally put the past behind them and step into the next phase of their life without any more hands leaping from graves to pull them back down. 

“He drives under the speed limit,” Zelda laughed as they made their way back to their usual place in the kitchen, with Link and Zelda pushed tightly together at the bar while Remy rummaged for snacks. 

“You didn’t think I’d really try to give you away, did you?” Remy asked suddenly, opening up a bag of cheese puffs and turning it around to share. 

Link looked between the two of them a moment before answering. There was always a ghost at the edge of his thoughts whispering toxicity into his ear, one that his father had invited into his life long ago. The thoughts told him they didn’t really love him. They were stuck with him. They were getting paid to care for him. They’ll drop him as soon as they can. But he had started to fight against those voices long ago and only just now had he finally started to feel as though he might win out over them in the end. 

He reached his hand into the bag and pulled out a cheese puff, pausing a moment before looking at it more closely. 

“Is this shaped like the triforce?” 

“It’s triple cheese flavored,” Zelda winked at him before popping one in her mouth. 

Remy laughed as he abandoned his snack to the two of them, content to sit back and watch as the stress of the past year melted off Link in waves, if only temporarily. Although he never directly answered his question, the full belly laugh that exploded from his mouth at whatever silly thing Zelda had teased him with next answered for him. 

“ _ I’m happy here,”  _ he’d said. 

  
“ _ And we’re happier with you here,”  _ Remy said in his head as he walked away, realizing the moment he left that their innocent back and forth would likely turn into something he didn’t want to witness. He rolled his eyes at himself as he slunk into his office, the sound of their laughter following him all the way there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I desperately need a triforce shaped cheese puff now. Or a cheese puff in general. I have been snowed inside my house since Sunday night. What day is it? I don't even know. I need new snacks. All I've done is eat, sleep, be sad, and then randomly get a burst of energy to do things like organize my spices or make toys for my cats. We got 5 snow days in a row. It's been crazy. 
> 
> Also, I solidified my chapter count! That's so surreal to me. I ALMOST was going to skip his birthday, but I think that's a great stopping place for this story so we will end there. The last chapter will be an epilogue. 
> 
> BRB gonna go email whoever makes cheetos with a marketing idea.


	48. Chapter 48

Zelda could hardly contain the magnitude of pure excitement buzzing around inside her the nights before the trip they had planned for Link’s birthday. He had attempted to persuade them into not making a show of it, claiming he was happy just to spend the day together as they always did, but of course Zelda would have none of it. She’d seen him trying to covertly eavesdrop as she and her father made arrangements though he’d never admit he was just as excited as she was. He was still uncomfortable openly being celebrated as much as the gesture meant to him. He was content to quietly sit back and let Zelda map it out and he knew whatever they did he would enjoy simply because they would do it together. 

The morning they were supposed to depart she pounced on him as he lay in a deep sleep, tucked soundly beneath the new comforter they’d bought him to replace the heavier one he’d had in winter. He was so soundly asleep that he began to flail as his body jolted awake, tumbling out of bed and almost colliding with his nightstand on the way down.  
  
“What’s happening?” he slurred as he tried to blink the bleariness from his eyes while the sound of Zelda’s laughter filled the room. She plopped down beside him and brushed the hair from his eyes so he could get a good look at her. 

“Your present is here!” she nearly sang as she bounced on her knees before him. 

“Isn’t the trip my present?” 

Her eyes widened with glee as she realized what a surprise he was in for. 

“Put a shirt on and come downstairs!” she poked him on his bare chest before slipping on the half of his bedding that had trailed him all the way to the ground while she pulled herself to her feet and vanished through the doorway. 

He covered the small oval mark her finger had left there that was quickly fading, replaced by a sea of crimson that washed across his chest. He scoffed at himself, letting his head go limp as he fell back to support his back on the side of his bed, wondering how on earth the barest touch from her could cause such a chain reaction. After taking a moment to pull himself together, he managed to roughly get dressed and stumble down the stairs where Zelda and Remy were waiting for him. 

Zelda was on her tiptoes as she craned her neck looking for him, a smile on her face that had been permanent the last few days when she finally saw him. 

“My Gods, you would think this was for you!” Remy laughed as he watched her rock on her heels impatiently while he descended the stairs. 

She simply widened her grin in response, her face lighting up the lucky half of Hyrule she was currently facing with a brilliant luminescence that was uniquely her own, leaving the rest to peak around her shoulder and marvel at the beauty of it just as Link was, standing slack jawed as she beamed all her energy directly at him. 

“Come on!” she bubbled as she rushed behind him, almost pushing him out the front door. 

As soon as he adjusted to the early light of morning that assaulted his eyes as soon as he stepped outside, he managed to make out the shape of a very new, very shiny black car in the driveway he had never seen before. Zelda buzzed with anticipation awaiting his reaction as Remy stood just behind them, his arms crossed across his chest, his own eyes crinkled as he waited for it too. But Link only turned to them with a look of genuine confusion on his face. 

“Is someone here?” he looked around the yard but didn’t notice anyone seeming to be waiting for him. He couldn’t think of anyone he wanted to be there with him more than the two people already standing there, watching in amusement as he worked through his confusion. 

“Nope,” Zelda giggled and raised her eyebrows as she not so subtly tilted her head back in the direction of the car. 

“Whose car is that then?” he asked innocently, still oblivious to what they were trying to tell him. 

“ _It’s yours_!” Remy finally bellowed, not able to stand it anymore as his cheeks started to feel bruised from smiling at Link as he thought of every possible explanation for the car rather than the one it was actually there for. He pulled a shiny new key fob from his pocket, the yellow tag from the dealership still attached, and honked the horn for good measure before putting it in Link’s hand. 

Link’s jaw fell open as he stared down at it in complete disbelief. 

“B-b-but you can’t…” he stuttered as he stood there stunned. 

“Oh, but I can,” Remy laughed as Link’s eyes grew wider than he’d ever seen them, the blue of his irises a perfect match to the delicate hues of the summer skies above them. 

His eyes went from the car, to Zelda, to Remy and then back in a dizzying triangle that left him tingling inside as he clenched his jaw and tried desperately not to cry, though the tears that grew there now came not from heartache but from the torrent of gratitude and sentiment he felt washing over him. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been given a gift on his birthday. He was a summer baby so it was always overlooked at school. When he had been little, the day was completely determined by whether or not his mother remembered it and some years he was certain passed by without even a passing comment that he’d grown a year older. As time went on, he had started to keep a calendar in his room and more often than not, he simply celebrated himself in his room alone, having saved an extra snack from school or allowing himself to draw on a full sheet of his notebook rather than sectioning it off to save for later like he usually did. His birthdays were never the special event that he knew they were for others. But that time in his life was now over and he had never felt the weight of that realization more drastically than he did staring at his brand new car in the driveway of his new home with his new family looking at him eagerly, their happiness stemming completely from his. 

“How do I say thank you enough times for a car?” he managed to croak out and Zelda and Remy left out a light laughter as he pointed the key at the car just to hear it unlock again. 

“We should go for a ride!” Zelda squealed as she started to usher him towards it. He followed her as he always did, getting almost to the driver side door before he stopped himself. 

“Wait,” he said quickly, turning to jog back up the hill, hoping to catch Remy before he went back inside. 

When he reached him he was slightly out of breath, leaning forward quickly to wrap him in a soft hug that surprised Remy yet again. Gone were the days he startled at his voice or flinched at his raised hand. He was growing more comfortable by the minute and Remy ate every second up, returning his embrace without any of his usual restraint. 

“Thank you,” Link said, more firmly this time as they stepped apart. 

“You’re very welcome,” Remy said warmly, “Happy Birthday, son.”

He never got over the look on Link’s face when he used that particular pet name. At first he had grown timid around it, almost as if he felt he didn’t deserve the title, but now he wore it with a grin as he nodded and turned back to join Zelda who was already exploring all the buttons on the console, causing the windshield wipers to violently shake back and forth before shutting back off with a sheepish shrug as Link laughed and climbed in the driver side door. 

“Don’t wreck it, please!” Remy called out as he watched them drive away, shuffling back inside the house in his slippers before closing the door. 

* * *

Later that morning they got busy packing for their long weekend trip. It was hectic and fast and full of lots of bags being dropped and giggling and joking and Remy couldn’t help but stop and think about how starkly different it had been from their Kakariko trip just a few months before. 

He’d still been recovering from his injuries then and while he hadn’t mentioned it, he was in a fair amount of pain; both physical and emotional. He’d barely been part of the packing process back then. In fact, he’d slept for most of the trip. As much as he’d seemed to still find enjoyment out of it, it was laced still with heartache and an uncertainty for his future that left him sluggish and unable to fully participate. But that was not the case this time. 

Now, he was fully awake, humming joyfully as he offered to carry all of Zelda’s bags to the car for her. He asked a thousand questions, joked with them, and even offered to drive them to the airport in his new car. He was like a completely different kid. And Zelda too seemed to radiate a level of joy and peace that made Remy feel as though everything had finally aligned for them just right. 

When Link returned with a huff after loading the rest of the things, Zelda insisted rather insistently that he simply must carry her to the vehicle too. He turned around and knelt on the ground, grunting as she climbed onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held under her knees for support. 

“Is that your carry on?” Remy teased them as Link lumbered to the car. 

Zelda leaned even further into his neck and let out a stream of snickering that almost had her sliding off of his back. They were so happy and so blissfully in love and for the briefest second, Remy found himself shadowed with that bittersweet feeling that came with watching his child, now children, take another step away from him and towards their own path. But when Link shut Zelda into the back seat and opened the passenger door for him, he knew they’d never totally leave him behind. He’d always be right there to cheer them on. 

“Let’s get this party started,” he smiled as he climbed in Link’s new car. 

The trip itself was uneventful and after a few hours they ended up standing just outside the castle gates with their suitcases in hand. Link stood there in complete awe as he took in the way the replica stone walls cut into the skyline, watching as the emblem of the old royal family on the large flag at the gates waved them inside. He looked very much like a child, with wide eyes that darted everywhere when he couldn’t decide which singular detail to settle on. 

For Link, it was like stepping into a dream. For so many years, he had pictured himself behind those walls when daydreams were safer than reality and he could hold his ears and squeeze his eyes shut and pretend he was anywhere else than in the constant state of fear he had lived in at home. He’d seen it on television and in illustrations. He’d gone through years of school hearing everyone else around him write about it for their “What I did this summer” essays while he sat and struggled to come up with anything to write at all. Now as he stood at the base of it, feeling the summer sun lightly kiss at the tops of his cheeks, he almost felt as though he’d awaken at any moment back on his thin mattress on the floor, the lock on his door securing him in his misery. That was until Zelda grabbed his hand and Remy’s voice reminded him he really was there. 

“Why don’t you two go run around and get into trouble while I find our room? I’ll get someone to carry our stuff up. I need to stretch across a mattress for a while,” Remy offered. 

“Okay, grandpa,” Zelda grinned, pulling Link away from him before he could insist on carrying the bags himself. 

She managed to slip them into a guided tour out of pure curiosity, planning to sneak away until she noticed how spellbound Link seemed, like he was hanging on every word. They walked past a giant library, stopped in the throne room, and eventually made it up to the restored diplomatic offices where they were describing the early days after the calamity when the castle was still mostly in shambles, though they still somehow managed to pull together enough safe places to start rebuilding the kingdom and rewriting laws. 

“It’s said that our ancient, beloved Queen Zelda, the Queen of Light, and her Hero, who is now known as the Hero of the Wild, never quite grew up, despite running the kingdom together for decades until their daughter took over. If you look at these ancient documents to my left here you will notice little caricatures of the council members at the time scrawled into the margins. Complete with little snippets of dialogue they drew to one another to pass the time,” the tour guide said with a wave of his arm. 

Link leaned carefully over the display case with Zelda right behind him, finding the faded outline of what was meant to be an old man with a rather bizarrely shaped mustache, an arrow pointing up towards something written in ancient Hylian. 

“Remember when you drew that lovely portrait of Ms. Blossom for me and she almost picked it up with your homework?” Zelda whispered in his ear and he had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing while the rest of the group they were with continued forward. 

“Before they were wed, the Hero was in constant hot water with the Sheikah diplomats who did their best to uphold old castle customs. Our Queen was still then a Princess until her official coronation and was expected to behave as such, which included not allowing him in her bedchambers at night in order to honor the sanctity of her title. Of course, these requests went entirely unheard and he was seen most mornings leaving right beside her. It took some time after the calamity to pull together some semblance of a working government and it’s said they spent that time wholly together. In fact, it’s an old Sheikah joke that they shared a single shadow,” the tour guide explained as they walked past a row of replica portraits in the narrow hallway. 

“What’s up with people not understanding the importance of _cuddling?”_ Zelda whispered into his ear. This time he laughed out loud, shrinking slightly when the elderly couple in front of them turned to scold them with a hard look on their faces. 

“Link,” she breathed into his ear again, making him almost shiver at her closeness as he turned around to question her with his eyes. 

She simply pointed with her head to an open doorway while the group they were with went forward without them. He narrowed his eyes as she repeated the gesture and he finally caught her meaning. He followed her into the doorway, stopping when he saw the streak of mischief in her eyes. 

“Where are we going?” he asked slowly as he looked around the dark space that was not meant to be part of the tour. 

“On our own tour,” she grinned, grabbing his hand and pushing him through the doorway at the back of the room. 

That’s how they ended up running around the entirety of the castle, dodging staff members and tour groups by hiding behind statues and tapestries or slipping into dark doorways when they got too close. They found storerooms full of replica weapons that were used during special events, a dining hall that spelled vaguely like smoked meat, and even a room full of clothing that Link had to drag her out of before she started trying on the gowns that were beautifully displayed on the posed mannequins propped along the walls. They were rushing up a back spiral stairwell when she felt his hand slip from hers and she spun around to see what had happened. He had stopped to lean heavily against the wall as he tried to catch his breath, one of his hands pressed firmly on his ribs as he struggled for air. 

“You okay?” she asked immediately, running back to him and encouraging him to slide down the wall to a sitting position. 

He settled himself on the ground and nodded as his heart slowed and his airways started to relax. He’d felt a slight burning there as their pace had increased but he simply had been too distracted to really pay attention to it until it became so noticeable he had to stop. 

“I’m fine,” he breathed heavily, “I promise. Just need a minute.”

She’d almost forgotten about his lung and the scar tissue he would always carry there. She sat beside him and put a gentle hand over where once there was a gaping hole in him, feeling as he took large gulps of air to compensate for the smaller space it left behind. They stayed that way for a few minutes until his heart slowed to an easier rhythm and they found themselves enjoying the peace that always came in the quiet between them until Zelda lightly gasped and broke it. 

“Link!” 

He startled slightly, opening his eyes from where they’d fallen closed, following her outstretched finger until it landed on what she’d noticed. Across the hall from them hung yet another portrait. The Queen and Hero, hand in hand as they sat on their matching thrones. 

“It’s us,” she said softly, squeezing her hand as it lay inside his, “You even have the hair.”

He tilted his head and gave her a meaningful look before planting a faint kiss just on her temple as she reached up to twirl a longer section of his sideburns. 

“That reminds me!” she said excitedly, knocking him unsteady as her quick movements had her scrambling to stand. 

“Of what?” he asked through a laugh, amused by her ability to shift gears so quickly. 

“My hero needs his sword.”

* * *

After a brief run-in with the dazed gift shop keeper who hesitantly sold them their large stash of treasures, they ended up in the middle of a back garden where the air was thick and heavy with summertime heat and the smell of fresh honeysuckle that made both of them lick at their lips. Somehow they’d played most of the day away, settling down on the edge of a large fountain while the sun yawned and dipped it’s brightest rays behind the rolling hills of Hyrule Field which were left mostly untouched by modern civilization in order to preserve the view from the castle walls. 

Their goodies tossed aside, they found the brightest treasure in one another, taking advantage of their isolation as their lips drifted together under the watchful eye of the old Goddess statue staring down at them. Their hands trailed into those spaces that left the other’s privacy mostly undisturbed while still causing them to squirm under the other’s touch. They were content enough to allow things to progress slowly, knowing they had all the time in the world with which to savor one another and choosing not to rush things in favor of simply enjoying where they currently were without pressure for more. 

“I have an idea,” Zelda murmured as he ran a thumb down her jawline, making her shiver slightly while she pulled away to look at him, blushed in the evening light. He looked on at her dazed, unable to make the transition back into conversation as smoothly as she did. 

“Stand up. I mean, kneel down. Not right here, over there,” she instructed rather vaguely as she picked up his sword up from the ground. 

He did as she requested without complaint, kneeling down on one knee before her until he was eye level with the bottom hem of her dress. 

She had to work through a series of quiet bouts of laughter, juggling the sword back and forth in her palms before she could finally speak, clearing her throat loudly just for show before beginning her speech. 

“We are gathered here today-”

“What is this? A wedding?” he laughed from beneath her, shutting up with a grin when she bounced the dull edge of the replica blade off his side before continuing. 

“In the face of great danger you have shown incredible bravery and have proved yourself a true servant of this land. You have survived the grueling task of graduating high school, saved a damsel in distress from certain death in the dark waters of...that very dangerous swimming pool,” she intoned in her most serious voice while she held the sword out before her. 

“Are you going to execute me? Why are you holding it like that?” he chuckled, flinching when she threatened to bop him with it again but keeping the smile that had grown steady on his face while she talked.

“You even conquered over certain death, showing incredible courage in a time where most would have buckled and fallen,” her tone grew more somber, even as she stayed in character, though she felt the wave of emotion that rolled through both of them at her words just as sharply as he did.

“And for that, I knight you the title Sir Link of the family Hyrule,” she lifted the blade, tapping him softly on each shoulder before resting the tip of it on the ground. 

When he lifted his face to her he found her already looking down at him. He swooped her into a hug as the sword clattered to the ground, their lips finding each other again, more vigorously this time, before they were interrupted by the voice of a guard coming by to check locks. 

“Hey!” the man hollered, “You two aren’t supposed to be back here!”

“Run!” Zelda giggled as they swooped up their bags, their hands still interlocked as they sprinted through the castle grounds. 

* * *

When Remy saw them tumbling through the door to their room on the other side of the castle which allowed overnight guests, he saw him again. The little boy from the school photo proof that had haunted him since that day at Link’s old house. It was the little boy with the deep bruises under his eyes and the uncertainty in his features that had made Remy want to reach inside and save him from the torment he knew he was living in. But this time when he saw him, it was with a huge smile as he dragged in a probably pricey replica Master Sword that was most definitely made of metal and not the cheap plastic most kids running around the building had. He couldn’t find a single reason to complain when he felt the pure happiness that was radiating off him in waves while he reached up to adjust the likely equally expensive crown that was sitting haphazardly on Zelda’s head. 

“Good evening, Your Highness,” he said with a gentlemanly flare as he slightly bowed his head to them, “And Hero,” he added, bowing to Link as well, earning the music of their laughter as they collapsed on the sofa near him on the common room of their lodging for the night. As their laughter faded away a pleasant quietness came over them with only the soft sound of the people scuttling around outside and the whistle of the wind on the outside windows to fill the space between them. Remy was almost positive one or both of them had fallen asleep until Link finally spoke up, rousing Zelda who had dozed off on his shoulder. 

“I never…” he started, stopped as he usually did when he second guessed himself. But he quickly shook the feeling away and continued, knowing there was no place for that here anymore. 

“I never thought I’d be here,” he finally finished, forever grateful for the space they gave him to speak. 

“I’m glad you finally got to see it in all its glory. It’s really incredible if you think about it. It’s like stepping back in time,” Remy agreed. 

“Yeah, I mean, it is. It’s amazing really, but also…” he hesitated again before a thoughtful look washed over his face, “I just meant I never thought I’d be here. Like _this_ ,” he waved an arm in an encompassing motion before mumbling a soft, “Thank you,” and burying his face in the cushions. 

They both heard what he hadn’t said. “ _I never thought I’d be happy,”_ and the thought that he truly was now, and because of them, sent a warmth through both of their hearts that seeped down into their bones. Zelda squirmed to where she was nearly on top of him while Remy smiled on softly from across the room. 

“You know, you’re a free man now. You’ve aged out of the system. They called me a few days ago actually. We don’t have to get permission to travel or to see doctors. No one is going to come randomly check my house to make sure I don’t have you chained in the basement or something. You can do whatever you want, go wherever you want for the first in your life. I can’t even hold you back now, though that’s not going to stop me from trying,” he said, watching as Link soaked up every word, “How does that feel?”

As always, it took him a minute to respond. He turned to look at Zelda, who had been eyeing him intently the entire time. When his eyes met hers, everything fell into place. Just like it always had. Just like it always would. 

“Like I’m right where I want to be.” 

And they couldn’t all agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO IS CRYING? ARE YOU CRYING? AM I CRYING? IS LINK CRYING? I'm sorry I made you cry so many times Link! 
> 
> Seriously I got the most bittersweet feeling writing this. I've NEVER written anything this long. I have an incredibly hard time sticking to one thing and the fact I almost got 50 chapters in here blows my damn mind. Thank you SO MUCH for sticking around until the end, which isn't bitter this time! I gave my poor boy a happy ending. He deserved it. 
> 
> Next chapter will be an epilogue set some time in the future. It might be rather short, not sure. I might go ahead and write it so I don't drag it out. 
> 
> HOW DO YOU FEEL?


	49. Epilogue

**8 years later**

Remy woke and stretched in his now very quiet house. He slipped on one of his old robes and grumbled his way into the kitchen. As he stood in the emptiness, listening to the coffee he’d had to start himself bubbling in the old machine, he thought about the noise they would have been making if they were there. Link would be making them something delicious for breakfast and Zelda would already be on her third iced coffee, ready to jump on him for sleeping in late even when she’d likely only risen because Link had. 

He thought about that year she’d left for college and nearly truly returned. Or at least, she didn’t live there as she had in the past. He and Link had grown close in their time together while she was off at school. He remembered feeling justified in making him take that year off when he had another downward spiral after his mother was released just after Zelda's first semester. As much as both of them had been convinced they had filled all his missing pieces, that was when they finally realized the bitter truth of his reality. They had swung the balance of his heart, tipping in favor of more good days than bad, but they could never really erase the emotional damage that had been done. They could only hope to build him up stronger in hopes he’d one day be able to withstand it on his own without needing someone there to make sure he didn't lose himself to it. And eventually he did, it just took him some time to get there. 

There were many nights he caught them on a video call with both of them sound asleep, their faces illuminated only by the dull blue hue of the slate screen while it sat propped on a stack of pillows. He’d check the time on Link’s slate to see they'd been talking for hours or simply sitting and watching the other exist while they went about their own business, casually checking to make sure the other hadn’t somehow disappeared. The distance between them had only made their desire for one another strengthen ten fold and Remy had nearly had to threaten Zelda to go back to school the next year when Link decided on an art school that wasn’t near her campus. But they made it work, managing to sneak a good three years in before they ran off and got married in Kakariko without telling anyone. Except Remy of course. He’d been right there under the Goddess statue with them, thankful the sound of the running water behind them covered the sound of his crying as he officially handed over his daughter to Link, who was just as teary eyed as he was. 

He sighed, pouring his now cold coffee down the drain. He’d reminisced longer than he intended. He looked around on the floor before finding his slippers, shimmying his feet inside as he exited his own house to walk across the street. They may have left him, but they didn’t go far. 

Zelda answered the door with a little strawberry blonde boy on her hip who started kicking his legs excitedly as soon as he saw his grandfather standing before him. He was the spitting image of Link, except for his eyes, which were the same emerald as Zelda’s. It never failed to melt Remy into a puddle each time he saw them. 

“Papa!” he squealed, reaching forward without hesitation, knowing that neither one of them would let him hit the ground if he fell. 

“My boy!” Remy caught him as he tumbled into his arms, lifting him up so that he could snuggle into his beard. He was such an affectionate little thing, always giving hugs, handing out his “I love you’s” freely to anyone who seemed to need it. 

“I misted you, Papa,” he said as he wrapped his arms around his grandfather’s neck. 

“Leo, it’s been a total of 12 hours. You literally saw him before you went to bed!” Zelda laughed as she moved aside so they could step in the doorway. 

“I misted you too,” Remy cooed at him, copying his speech pattern affectionately as he held him tight with a large hand on his back, “Don’t listen to her. It felt like a lifetime to me too."

“And you said _I_ was dramatic,” Zelda playfully rolled her eyes, not trying to hide the soft smile that lay across her face as she watched them together. 

“I misted Daddy too,” Leo mumbled, remembering his father’s absence as he curled into Remy’s chest. 

Remy looked around the living room but didn’t see signs of him anywhere. 

“I thought he finished that mural yesterday? Is he still working?” 

“No, he did finish it. He beat himself up about it all night too because he thought he could have done better even though it was perfect. You know how he is. He’s actually at the store because _someone_ can get their _Daddy_ to get them _anything_ if he makes that one face,” she pointed at Leo who giggled as Remy acted offended for him. 

“Oh Gods. Which one?” Remy asked as Leo sat up and watched his mother imitate the way he would stick out his bottom lip and make his eyes round and watery when he wanted something. 

“I’d jump to my death if he asked me to with that face,” Remy said in all seriousness while Leo started bouncing on his stomach lightly, amused by their conversation about him. 

“You are absolutely ridiculous. You would have told me to get over it!” Zelda laughed at his antics. He’d been every bit the over the top grandfather she expected him to be and while she loved every minute of it, she never let an opportunity to rib him pass. If they weren't bantering back and forth something felt wrong. 

“If I told him that, he would cry for hours,” Remy said as he pulled a squirming Leo close, “He’s _just little_.” 

“And spoiled rotten,” Zelda grinned, her eyes crinkling at the edges when she heard the sound of the garage door opening and saw the wave of pure glee that passed throughout Leo’s whole body like a jolt of lightning. 

“It’s Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” he yelled as he flew off of Remy to bounce at the back door like a puppy. 

When Link finally stepped through, he had no chance to react before Leo climbed him like a tree, squeezing him so tightly he nearly dropped the bags in his hands. Rather than ask Leo to get down so that he could carry the groceries properly, he simply juggled them awkwardly until he had both Leo and the plastic bags all securely in his grip, with one bag hanging unceremoniously out of his mouth while he held onto it with his teeth. 

“Hey Buddy!” he jumbling his words through his teeth while Leo grinned from ear to ear, turning to Remy as if he were showing off a prize he’d found. 

Remy watched as Zelda looked over them fondly, capturing the image of them tangled together in her memory while he thought about how petrified Link had been to be a father. 

Zelda’s unexpected pregnancy had just so happened to align with Link’s father’s early release and the tempest of conflicting emotions that raged inside of him were so intense that he fell. And he fell hard. What should have been a joyous time of celebration turned into a battle to get Link to go back to therapy and up the medication he’d slowly lowered over the years. For weeks he was that frightened teenager again who started detaching himself from everyone while he fought the monsters that were always trying to claw their way back into the fortress of his heart, which years of love and stability had helped to fortify. But at Zelda’s insistence, he reached out for help. After a week of therapy he finally admitted to her that he was afraid her pregnancy would do to her what it had done to his mom and that he would turn into his father, leaving his child to suffer as he had. But as soon as they placed a squirming, newborn Leo in his arms and he saw Zelda alive and well, the darkness seemed to recede for him once again. They’d only grown closer because of it, though it would always hurt Zelda to see him that way. 

He had maintained a tentative relationship with his mother but hadn’t allowed her to meet their son in person. He would only ever let her briefly video chat with him, particularly after she’d failed to come see him at the hospital right after his birth. Link had finally decided to stop allowing her flightiness to have such control over his feelings and certainly wouldn't allow his son to be hurt by the grating disappointment that was always waiting for someone who would never consistently be there. Zelda knew it was an attempt to protect him from her and she was quietly grateful for it. She wasn’t sure she could let the woman who had so viciously tormented the man she loved hold their child in her arms either. It was a topic they mostly avoided and thankfully Leo was too young to ask about her anyway. Besides, he practically had a live-in grandfather who would rearrange the formula of water to make it taste better for him if he could. So they let it go for then and would let Leo decide if he wanted to pursue a relationship with her or not when he got older. 

“I got the chocolate milk you wanted,” Link said as Leo sat perched on the kitchen counter. 

“Do you wanna play with me?” Leo asked. 

Link plopped the slippery half gallon of milk on the counter before leaning forward and picking him up to spin him around the kitchen, “of course I do!”

Leo jumped off the counter without a second thought, Link catching him to soften his landing before he could hit the floor. Leo pulled him by the hand, disappearing out the back door with Remy and Zelda following shortly after. 

They watched them run around the yard in a fit of giggles until Link escaped to huff down beside Zelda on their porch swing, knocking them into a larger swaying motion that the gentle back and forth Zelda had kept up while observing their play. 

“Daddy, that ballcaino is rupting!” Leo bubbled as he tried to pull him back into their game. 

“Papa looks really bored, you should ask him to play now,” Link winked as Remy held up his hands to try and deflect the barrage of questions that was about to head his way. 

“Papa you be the big, big Goron!” he wiggled as he pulled at Remy’s robe sleeve, "Save me from the lava!"

“Why a Goron?” he groaned, rising from his seat at Leo’s exuberant insistence. 

“Cause you are the biggest!”

Link and Zelda fell into laughter while Remy shot them a look before following the little one into the yard. 

Zelda laid her head on Link’s shoulder, letting her eyes fall closed while she listened to the trill of Leo’s laughter that lifted up in the wind, harmonizing with the chorus of the morning birds. She threaded her fingers through Link’s hand as it sat on the top of her thigh and he wasted no time bringing their combined digits up to his mouth to lay a soft kiss on the back of her hand. They had rocked themselves into a gentle tranquility until Leo climbed back into Link’s lap, his cheeks red from exertion as he laid down on his chest.

“I’m getting too old to be a Goron,” Remy grumbled as he fell back into the padded deck chair. 

Zelda snuggled forward until her nose was just touching Leo’s, her heart squeezing at the sight of him so happy. He was so full of life and love and energy, crashing into their life as a constant reminder of all that was good and beautiful in the world. She reached up to tuck a stray wave of hair behind his ear before kissing the tip of his nose, eliciting a soft giggle in return. 

“Are you worn out, my sweet boy?” she asked him as his blinking grew slower and slower. 

“No,” he said through a yawn. 

“Daddy, will you play with me again?” he asked, sitting up before he could admit to the sleep that was knocking at the back of his eyes. 

Link kissed him on the top of the head before getting ready to stand up, never one to deny him. 

“Who am I this time?”

“The Hero!”

“Oh yeah?” he laughed, kissing him again before letting him drop back to the ground softly, “And who are you going to be?”

“A big scary ‘koblin!” he growled as he held up his arms, giving his best snarl before laughing at himself. 

Link moved to follow him as he hurried off the porch and back into the grass, his mind already whirling with the details of their next adventure. 

“Wait!” Zelda said before he could get too far, reaching behind her to shuffle through the faux treasure chest that held all his outdoor toys and pulling out the one she was looking for, a rather beat up plastic Master Sword. One of many he had. 

“It’s too dangerous to go alone! Take this!”

Link’s smile was luminous as he took it from her outstretched hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh God it's the end. Did I give you a cavity? I cannot, and I can't stress this enough, CANNOT resist adding a baby Zelink. Something about it makes my ovaries do little cartwheels. 
> 
> I wanted to add in there that there is no magic cure for trauma. You always carry it in some capacity. But you can also move forward and still find love and happiness despite it. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading my story. I'm very sad to see it end. I love these characters. I'll just imagine them happy on the back porch forever. <3


End file.
